Hanyou and Miko II
by TsucasaOfMeiji
Summary: Sequel to 'Hanyou and Miko',InuYasha and Kagome have started their own family, two sons and one new pup on the way. Makoto is all grown up with problems of his own. An old foe reappears with revenge on his mind.Can the hanyou's live a life without fear? C
1. Time that Passed

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 1: Time that Passed**

InuYasha yawned and stretched his arms into the warm evening air. It was good just to get away for awhile, sitting in Goshinboku again for the first time in months. Between Shippou moving out and taking Tani as his mate, Mai getting married to the village headman's son, Makoto being nearly out of control, and Kagome pregnant with their second pup and still wanting to do her responsibilities as the village priestess, InuYasha just needed a little time to himself. Kagome, of course, had agreed and promised to stay in the hut while he was gone, as long as he came back with food.

Yep, InuYasha was happy with his still-growing family. From his four nieces: Mai, Cho, Hana, and Yumi, to his mate: Kagome, his boys: Makoto and Shippou with his mate, Tani, and InuYasha's new pup on the way. Not to mention his half-brother and new sister-in-law, an inu-youkai from the north named Usagi, and their son Keiji and of course, Rin. InuYasha wouldn't trade in any of it for the world. Well, maybe his brother, and maybe the monk, but none of the others. He grinned at the thought. Seventeen years. It had already been seventeen years since Suoh and his followers attacked him and left Kagome with that stupid curse. Seventeen years since the well sealed, leaving Kagome stuck in his time, and the two becoming mates.

He was amazed and overwhelmed by it all. A hanyou, a half-breed; growing up, mating, having a family, his family starting a family. He sighed as he jumped from the tree and made his way down the path to his hut, his home. Only gone for thirty minutes and he was already missing Kagome by his side. What would he have ever done without her? What would he have done if she were stuck in her time instead of his? He approached and stuck his head in. "Oi! You better still be in here, wench, or I'll make sure you don't leave the hut by yourself anymore!"

Kagome sat up off her bed slowly with her slightly bulging tummy. Both she and InuYasha still looked like they were in their early twenties, InuYasha a little more so. "I'm still here." She replied when she got into a sitting position. "But who knows where _your_ son ran off to this time."

"Keh. Your fault. You're the one who insisted on spoiling him, and letting him hang around that mangy wolf's pup so much. I told you from the start that that girl was no good." He sat by the fire pit and started cooking the fish he brought back with him, tossing a piece of fruit to Kagome.

"Akina isn't bad. She's just too persistent, like Kouga was. And _I_ didn't spoil him." She sighed and looked to InuYasha with worried eyes. "Maybe you should go look for him. I don't like it when he stays by himself for so long. He's been doing that too much lately."

"He's fine, Kagome." InuYasha sat down and handed Kagome one of the fish. "He'll be back when he gets hungry enough, anyway. Unless that stupid she-wolf Akina comes around looking for him again. I swear, if that girl doesn't just leave him alone I'm gonna have to do something about it."

"Uh huh. And by 'something' you mean getting into another fight with Kouga. InuYasha, that is between Akina and Makoto. The last thing we need is another fight on our hands. Last time you two _almost_ succeeded in ripping out each other's throats."

"And I would have but no! You had to use that stupid 'sit' command on me." He tugged at the rosary still clinging around his neck. "You're gonna have to take this thing off one day, you know."

"No I don't. It's the only leverage I have on you. You _are_ a big strong hanyou, and I _am_ just a pathetic human." She batted her eyelashes. "That spell is the only way I have of controlling you. All you have to do is pick me up and throw me over your shoulder or something."

"Keh. With how much you weigh right now? I'd throw out my back trying to carry you, wench."

"InuYasha, that's **not** funny." Kagome turned away from the hanyou. He knew she hated him making those kinds of jokes. She looked like the blob when she was pregnant and Kagome didn't like that one bit. Her new way of punishing the hanyou without the 'sit' command was to completely ignore him. InuYasha loved Kagome's attention and could never last long without it. She grinned to herself.

As soon as Kagome turned her back to InuYasha, his ears lowered flat on his head. The cold shoulder. That's just what he hated, but this time he wasn't going to give in to her sulking. No sir, not this time. Instead he turned his attention to eating the remaining pieces of his fish, expertly stripping every last bit of meat off the bone. Kagome was still turned away from him. InuYasha got up and put the fire out in the pit. Still she ignored him. He sat down in a corner and exaggeratedly started sharpening Tetsusaiga, the sound of stone sliding down the blade filling the hut. He finally sighed, standing up, putting Tetsusaiga back in its sheath, and walking over to his mate. "Kagome, turn around and look at me." She was silent. "It's not going to work this time, wench… I mean it." He wasn't even buying his own excuse. He sighed again, crossing his arms and laying his head in Kagome's lap. Her smile grew as she reached down and rubbed his ears.

"Apology accepted dog-boy."

"Keh. Who said anything about an apology? I'm just not in the mood to hear you blubbering all day."

"I don't blubber, InuYasha." She stood up, sending InuYasha's head to the floor and smoothing out her clothes as much as possible. Kagome wrinkled her nose at how big she had gotten over the past month. As much as she loved being pregnant again, she hated looking it. "I'm going to Sango's. She hasn't been feeling too well lately and I have to take her the remedy I fixed for her." Kagome picked up a bowl of freshly prepared herbs, giving it a quick sniff to be sure of the combination, and walked out with InuYasha nipping close at her heels. He still wouldn't let her go anywhere on her own. She stumbled once going down the path to the village and was picked up by the hanyou. "InuYasha, I can walk on my own. You're going to hurt yourself."

"This is nothing, wench."

"Kagome, InuYasha. What brings the two of you around here?" Miroku looked up from his napping spot against the tree.

"I brought that remedy for Sango. She's inside, right?"

Miroku nodded and Kagome disappeared inside the hut. "So, InuYasha. You really think Kagome should still be working in the village in her condition?" the monk's voice was of genuine concern.

"Keh. No. I think she should stay home and leave the villagers to take care of themselves for once, but no. That wench is too stubborn to listen to reason." He sighed. "Having Makoto wore her out enough. That's why I made her wait so long before having another. I made her promise she'd take it easy. But noooo, she just has to do everything the villagers ask her." He slumped down on his haunches with his hands on the ground between his legs.

Miroku yawned. "That's Kagome for you. Never caring for herself."

"Otousan, Hana and Cho left me again." An eleven year old girl wearing a pink kimono with her father's eyes and her mother's hair pulled on Miroku's robes. "They said they were going to see those boys in the village after you told them not to."

Miroku's eyes lit up and InuYasha couldn't help but laugh. "Your own fault, monk. Its pay back for all the women you've lechered over the years."

"What does lechered mean?"

"InuYasha," Miroku ignored his daughter's innocent questioning, "I am hurt that you would accuse me of such a sinful act. I am but a simple fallen monk with a wife and four lovely daughters. It is no fault of mine that they just happened to inherit my charming good looks and the men of the village find them too beautiful to resist." He stood, grabbing his staff after cracking his knuckles. "But, they will learn restraint, one way or another. Yumi, stay here with InuYasha. This will not be for young eyes." The little girl nodded reluctantly and took a step toward the hanyou.

InuYasha watched as Miroku made his way into the village. He could hear a few of his mumblings about how although his wind tunnel was forever sealed, he still felt cursed. InuYasha laughed. Miroku was cursed. Cursed with four young daughters in a village full of lechers such as he was before he married Sango. It really did serve the monk right to have such a curse. Mai had married the village headmaster's son, Kisho, not even a year ago. Miroku had tried everything in his power to stop the wedding. Sango nearly had to knock him out before the ceremony began. Kisho wasn't that bad, not for a human. A little on the dimwit side, but no more than Miroku was at times.

InuYasha had been proud when Mai had worn the turquoise necklace and bracelet he and Kagome had given her. They gave a set of different colors to all their nieces. Cho; Cobalt blue, Hana; yellow, and Yumi; pink. InuYasha had even given a special necklace to his nephew, Keiji. It was lined with fangs of different youkai InuYasha had defeated. At first Sesshomaru had merely introduced his mate and left. Usagi was almost the complete opposite of Sesshomaru, kind and caring. She didn't seem to mind his cold attitude at all. And Keiji was turning out just like her.

"InuYasha, have you seen Miroku?" Sango walked out, her face a little flushed and her eyes dark.

InuYasha pointed toward the village. "Cho and Hana are being chased again. Miroku went off to find them."

Sango's eyebrows furrowed with her anger. "That baka. Kagome, remind me again why I married him?"

Kagome smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Because you love him and he can be sweet when he wants to."

"Keh. I think it was just because she was already pregnant." Kagome shot him a nasty look. "What! It's true! I don't think she would have married him if she wasn't pregnant."

Kagome rolled her eyes and slapped InuYasha across the chest. In return, he gave her a fake look of hurt. "Remind me again why I became your mate."

InuYasha cocked a grin before leaning over her, his forehead nuzzling hers. "Because I bring you food and I protect you, lazy wench, that's why." He laughed as he felt the pup kick against him. He looked down at Kagome's stomach. "Oi. You can wait your turn, pup. Your Okaasan's all mine right now." The pup kicked again.

"Hm. That's right. Oyajii is just being a jerk, isn't he?" the pup kicked twice. "Alright already, don't you start being like your brother. I don't know if I can take all this kicking again. You're supposed to be a good pup and not move until you're ready to be born." _Makoto. Why do you have to always go out on your own?_ She sighed, her gaze fixed on the path leading through the forest.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto sighed as he leaned back against the tree trunk, his white undershirt blowing in the wind along with his silver and black hair. His amber eyes gazed off into the distance, arms crossed behind his head, black and silver ears twitching in different directions. His navy hakama was once again ripped to shreds from fighting with youkai, his haori lost somewhere in pieces on the forest floor. He looked to the darkening evening sky, the yellows and oranges of the sunset cascading over his face in heavy waves, swaying branches from the trees occasionally releasing shadows across his body.

He shifted his bodyweight so he could slouch even lower against the tree. He had been running around fighting youkai around the village all day, trying to do anything to keep himself from his problems and have a little bit of fun in the process. Kagome would be worried, and InuYasha would more than likely chew him out for being gone so long, but he didn't care, not at the moment anyway.

"Well, well. How strange it is to see you out here, Makoto." Akina looked up into the tree, her black hair thrown over one shoulder, the white of her small fur outfit making it look even darker.

"What are you doing here, Akina?" he asked in an irritated tone.

"My, aren't we grumpy. I came all the way here for a little visit and you don't bother with so much as a 'hello'. See if I do anything else for you, inu." She jumped into the tree and balanced herself on the branch beside Makoto.

"That's because you're not welcome here anymore. You betrayed me, Akina, you went behind my back with someone else. I don't know about mangy wolves, but inu do not stay at the beckon call of someone like you. Keh. I even gave you a second chance. What happened then, Akina?" he spoke without moving his eyes in her direction. He thought he loved the wolf-youkai at one time. Now it seemed so long ago. Growing up they were friends, he, Akina and her twin brother Kigai. Though they were older, he got along pretty well with the two. After awhile, he started to take interest in Akina, more than in just a friendly manner, too. His Oyajii had told him not to get that involved with a wolf, but Makoto didn't care. He thought he was in love. Until she betrayed him. He had left the forest to the wolf's den only to find Akina with one of her own kind.

The first time Makoto saw the two together, he felt only sadness. He had quickly turned and came back to his Oyajii's forest. Akina arrived a few days later, apologizing for what he had seen. He was so happy to have her back, without thinking he forgave her, like a dog crawling back to her. The second time he wasn't as easy to coax. The second time Makoto found her with another he felt only anger and resentment toward the wolf. He was betrayed. He had opened himself to her only to be rejected for Yasuo yet again. This time however, it was Akina who got dumped. Yasuo had played her just as she had played him.

A couple of weeks later and there she was, calling on him again as if nothing had changed between them. He refused her that time, which made her angry. She went running to Kouga, who in turn came to face InuYasha. The two had battled before Makoto's Okaasan had finally used the command on him and told Kouga to go back to his den. Ever since then, Akina would occasionally pop up expecting that she and Makoto were back like nothing ever happened, like he was supposed to accept her back with no problems at all.

"Come on, Makoto. Are you going to let something so trivial come between us?" she edged closer, laying her head on his shoulder and looked up to his face.

"A _trivial_ matter? Keh. Go back home, Akina. There's nothing here for you anymore." Makoto stood up and jumped from the tree. The wolf-youkai followed suit. "If you don't go I'll find Kigai. He'll be happy to take you back home."

Akina stopped at the mention of her brother's name. Kigai was the new prince of the wolf-youkai tribe, and even though they were siblings she was under his command and had to do whatever he said. "You wouldn't. You wouldn't _dare_, Makoto!"

He turned to look at her for the first time during their encounter. "Yes, I would. If that's what it would take for me to never see you again, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Akina's eyes were furious. She held her arms straight by her side, her knuckles turning white. "Fine. If that's the way you want it, Makoto. But I promise you this; you will regret this. You will regret letting me go." With a final swish with the wind, she was gone in the same tornado-like style of her father.

Makoto sighed. He knew his threat wouldn't last too long, not with that she-wolf. He growled. That's not what he needed right now at all, for Akina to pop her head back into his life again. And in a few weeks, she'd be back again, pretending nothing happened this time or any other time. He watched as the last bit of light finally faded from the sky, the half-moon shining brightly with the slowly appearing stars. Yep. He was gonna get it when he got back to the village. With a final gaze into the forest he took off down the path that led him back to the hut. He could see a fire burning in the pit from one of the windows, which meant his parents were waiting up for him.

**A/N: Well, the first chapter is finally up! Just kind of reintroducing you to the story, and telling a little about when on in the years that have passed. I also made it where you don't have to read the one-shots if you don't want to, but I suggest you do. Sometimes I don't feel like reading them either. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Very sorry about how long it took. TT Katrina really messed me up and then school really sucked, and then my muse ran away…**

**-----Check out my profile for FFWAP's InuYasha fanfic contest!-----**

**My OC's:**

**Makoto (sincere)- 17, son of InuYasha and Kagome**

**Mai (bright)- 18, first daughter of Miroku and Sango**

**Cho (butterfly)- 16, second daughter of Miroku and Sango**

**Hana (flower)- 14, third daughter of Miroku and Sango**

**Yumi (beauty)- 11, fourth daughter of Miroku and Sango**

**Akina (spring flower)- 19, twin daughter of Kouga and Ayame**

**Kigai (strong spirit)- 19, twin son of Kouga and Ayame**

**Tani (valley)- 26, human; Shippou's childhood friend and new mate**

**Kisho (one who knows his own mind)- Mai's husband, son of village headman**

**Usagi (moon)- Sesshomaru's mate**

**Keiji (lead cautiously)- 4, son of Sesshomaru and Usagi**


	2. Changes

Disclaimer: Join the new uprising against Adult Swim. We shall have InuYasha on EVERY night like it should be! Oh, and I still don't own InuYasha. :shrugs: Go figure.

**Chapter 2: Changes**

Kagome leaned back on her bed, crossing her arms against her chest in an angry fashion, then looked out the window at the night sky and sighed. Makoto wasn't back yet, and it was already dark outside. Now she knew just how her mother felt every time she was gone to the feudal era, and what she thought when Kagome didn't return. There wasn't a day that went by she didn't think about her family on the other side of the well. She thought of how her mother was doing, about her grandfather, she wondered if she would even be able to recognize Souta. He was probably completely grown by now, his own family and everything. Then she wondered about her friends. What did they think when she had so suddenly disappeared? They had grown apart; did her friends even wonder what happened to her so many years ago?

InuYasha must have known what she was thinking, because he walked over and snuggled against her with a low, comforting growl. Kagome turned and buried her head in his haori, allowing his warmth to surround her. "Go and find your son before I kill him." She mumbled. "Maybe I'll make a rosary for him with a spell of its own."

"Keh. Why make a new one? I'll give him mine." Kagome slapped his chest. "What now! It's not like you use it anymore. It'd do a better job on Makoto." InuYasha leaned back. Makoto was seventeen now, eighteen in a few months. How was InuYasha going to deal with him? He had warned his son against that wolf, but he refused to listen. Wolves were different from inu, Akina would mate with whoever her father or brother chose for her. She would be loyal to her pack leaders. The relationship she had with Makoto was just some kind of fling she had to get off of her chest. InuYasha's ears twitched toward the sliding door; he gave a few strong sniffs in the air, and turned back to Kagome. "Makoto's back. He's been with _her_ again." His nose turned up into a look of disgust.

As soon as Makoto entered the hut he was greeted by angry stares. He gulped and prepared himself to be bombarded with lectures and questions, his ears flattening on his head. His Okaasan's glare was the worst, a mixture of anger, love, and worry. Her eyes dropped to scan his ripped and bloodied clothing. "It's not all mine, Okaa. I sniffed out a few youkai around the village and decided to take care of it. I only got a few scratches."

Kagome shook her head. "That's not it, Makoto."

"Yea, the problem is you were out with that wolf again! Haven't you learned your lesson with her yet!"

"InuYasha!"

"I wasn't out with Akina! She came looking for me I told her to get lost! Do you really think I'm **that** stupid! Do you think I **want** that back-stabber anywhere near me!" he lowered his eyes to the floor and crossed his arms on his chest, his eyes flaring wildly with his growing anger.

"Listen, Makoto, I know you're not stupid. When you actually use that brain of yours, you're pretty smart. I just don't want you getting caught up with her again, and I don't want you staying gone all day, especially with Kagome in the condition she's in. We need your help around here." InuYasha put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Just quit running off so much and try to help out."

Makoto clinched his fists but remained silent. "I'm going to bed." He replied after moments of mutual silence. He stepped to the side and slid open the door to his side of the hut, closing it again behind him. He plopped down onto his futon, not bothering with his ripped clothes. Makoto hated just leaving his Okaasan staring blankly at him like that, especially since he probably worried her all day. _Akina._ He thought solemnly. Why had she chosen to play out her little charade on him? These questions and thoughts lingered in his mind as he drifted to sleep.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Don't you give me any of that crap, InuYasha! I told you I was going for a walk. It wasn't my fault you were being too much of a baka to listen!"

"I wasn't being a baka, I was asleep!"

"You were **pretending** to be asleep, baka!"

"I was not!"

"You were too!"

"Wench, if I said I was asleep, then I was asleep!"

"Stop calling me wench, baka!"

"Stop calling me baka, wench!"

"SIT!"

Shippou and Makoto sat with their arms crossed watching the fight between their parents. InuYasha was back on his feet and yelling about that stupid spell, while Kagome was throwing another fit about something else the hanyou had done.

"Was she like this with me?" Makoto asked, dumbfounded.

"Yep. Don't worry too much about it. It's natural, especially for Okaa and Oyajii. They were down each other's throats before they were even mates. They've been fighting since the first day I met them, you know." Shippou chipped in.

"Having a pup must make it worse." They watched as InuYasha dug himself into an even deeper crater than before.

"Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!"

"Remind me of this next time I'm about to do something to make Okaasan mad." Makoto replied as he watched his Oyajii burring himself under the 'sit' commands. "And remind me never to take a necklace from her either."

"Yep." Shippou grinned as he watched InuYasha go under even more sits. "You think he'll give in soon?"

"Nope."

"Knock out?"

"Yep." It was something the brothers had grown use to. There were two outcomes in a fight this fierce: either InuYasha would give in and walk away, or he would keep arguing until his 'sit's rendered him unconscious. "I'm going out." Makoto said, standing to his feet. His parents stopped fighting long enough to stare at their son with questionable glances. "Outside," he pointed to the door, "you know, of the hut. I'm not _going_ anywhere. Just…out." He rolled his eyes and opened the sliding door. Shippou stood, giving Kagome and InuYasha a silent nod and followed his brother outside. They walked in silence with no real destination in mind. "They act like I'm going to run out on them or something. I just don't understand what they think I'm going to do."

"They think you're going to go running back to Akina, that's what they think." Shippou replied, stopping and staring up into the bright morning sky.

"Do Okaa and Oyajii really think I'm that stupid? Sure, once was stupid enough. But I'm **never** going back to her."

"Stupid, yes. Unheard of, no. Oyajii once had the same problem, you know. Back before, when we were still looking for the Shikon shards, he had a choice to make himself. Kikyou. She betrayed Oyajii, on more than one occasion. But when her soul collectors came, sure enough he would follow them. He almost lost Okaasan because of it, too. So I can see why they're both worried that you'll go back to Akina. Just trust me, a girl like that doesn't deserve anyone."

Makoto turned his back to Shippou, ears flat and eyes downcast. "I really thought…" his voice trailed off. "…maybe…she…" he sighed, unable to finish his own thoughts. To tell the truth, they were too jumbled in his head for even him to decipher. Part of him _hated_ Akina for what she did. He blamed her for his broken heart, his shattered dreams. About the last day he went to the wolves' den for her? They had been seeing each other for a while by then, and that day he was going to ask her to be his mate.

He didn't tell anyone, not even Shippou, about his true intentions that day. Growing up together, he thought he knew her. Now one side of him only resented that they had even met. The other side, the side that still loved her? Well, that side only blamed himself. Maybe he wasn't good enough; maybe he did something or said something to drive her away. Maybe it was because of what he was, a hanyou. It hurt him so much. He…trusted her, loved her, only to have his heart ripped out twice and stomped into the dirt. He WAS dirt. He felt lower than dirt.

Makoto had heard the stories of his father's past, about him growing up on his own after his own mother died. How he wasn't 'welcome' in any of the human villages, or by any youkai. Makoto was lucky enough to live in a village where he _was_ welcomed. His father had seen to that, too. He and Kagome together were the protectors of the small village. No one openly complained about the hanyous, but it didn't mean it wasn't there. When he was smaller, he didn't understand the whispers and taunts. Now that he was older, he knew all too well what they were. Even his own uncle, Sesshomaru, didn't seem to like the fact that Makoto had human blood. Was it really so bad to be part human and part youkai?

"Don't think too much, you might hurt yourself." Makoto pulled himself out of his thoughts at Shippou's words. "I know what you were thinking about, and don't. She betrayed you. It's as simple as that."

"I know. I just really thought…"

"You just thought she was the same wolf you grew up with."

"Well, yea. Kigai hasn't changed. Why did she have to change? Why did Akina have to…"

"Shhh." Shippou's tail twitched and he sniffed the air. "Something's here. I heard it." He gave a few more good sniffs. His senses weren't as good as an inu-youkai. "I can't smell anything, what about you?"

Makoto followed suit, sniffing the air and twitching his ears to sounds. "Nothing. Something downwind, maybe? I bet…ooof!" his reply was cut short. Out of nowhere he was hit from the side and sent sprawling out on the ground. Shippou was by his side in an instant, helping him to his feet. "What the…?" he looked around for what had hit him. Not two yards away was a figure just pulling itself to it's feet. Long black hair twisted and mangled, the green kimono well worn. It was a girl. No one Makoto had ever seen before. She turned as she stood, hair flying behind her. Her eyes were a piercing emerald green, scared and confused. Her lips where curled to revel long fangs. _Fangs?_ He thought. Yes, fangs, and dog-like ears on her head, too. A hanyou, this girl was a hanyou. Not an inu, no, her scent was different. She was a wolf-hanyou. Before Makoto or Shippou had the chance to stop her, she was on her feet and running again.

"What was up with that?" Shippou pondered out loud.

Makoto growled low in his throat. "GET BACK HERE, BAKA!" he yelled into the forest. "Oyajii was right. Those mangy wolves' are all worthless, especially the she-wolves. Keh. It's like they're out to get me." He rubbed the back of his head where it had hit the ground. "And I don't even know who that one is."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto sat with his legs crossed against the side of Miroku and Sango's hut. Kagome had wanted to check up on Sango, and since InuYasha was still knocked out cold on the floor, Makoto had taken on the job of being her escort into the village.

"Makoto, are you just going to sit there all day? Why don't you come and play with me?" Yumi stretched out her arms, offering a small red ball with a smile.

"Not today, Yumi. For some reason, I've got a headache." He instinctively rubbed the back of his head, feeling the knot that had formed.

The little girl sighed and sat down next to him. She pulled on a string of cloth coming from the hanyou's still ripped clothing, then pulled at the tear, then ripping a piece off entirely. She looked up at Makoto to see if he had seen it, but smiled when he showed no reactions at all. Yumi continued looking up at him, until her eyes reached his twitching ears. She reached up with her small hand and grabbed hold of one.

"Hey!" he pulled her hand away. "You know better than to touch my ears." He gave the girl a stern gaze, but softened it again when her bottom lip starting trembling in a sign she was about to cry. He sighed. "Fine. But only once." _Why do I always give in? _He sighed as Yumi latched onto one of his ears and proceeded to rub. He rolled his eyes when he saw two other girls bouncing up the path, eyes going wide when they saw their little sister playing with his ears. "No! Oh no! Don't even…" Cho latched onto the free ear while Hana fought over control of the other with Yumi.

"No, Hana, Makoto said **I** could scratch his ears! You didn't even ask!" Yumi crossed her arms in a pout.

Hana smilingly continued scratching his ears, ignoring the whining of her little sister. "I want to rub his ears! He never lets me rubs his ears, it's not fair."

Makoto stood, making the girls relinquish their hold on his ears. "That's enough! Cho, Hana, Yumi, all three of you go play somewhere else. Go play with Shippou or Mai."

"We can't." Cho spoke up. "Shippou and Tani left a little while ago visiting her brother in the next village and Mia and Kisho are busy in the village. He **is** the headman's son after all. The only one who's not busy with someone else is you." She smiled at him sweetly.

_Just great. Even she knows how lame I am._ "Look, why don't you three just go play with each other for awhile. Go find those boys in the village or something. I'm sure I'll get a kick at seen Miroku chasing them down again."

"Makoto, where's Kagome?" InuYasha came strolling up from the path, an obvious bump on the back of his head, almost matching the one Makoto received from his previous encounter.

"She's in the hut with obasan (aunt)." Makoto pointed over his shoulder toward the door.

"Makoto, InuYasha. Has Kagome finished yet with Sango?" the monk approached the two hanyous. Lately he had been on edge, with Sango's strange illness and his daughters running all over him. "It would be great to finally know what is causing all her problems."

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Gees. Can I get some help over here?" Kagome waddled out the door cradling the small of her back with one hand. InuYasha rushed over to her, supporting her as she walked to Miroku. "Well, I know what's wrong with Sango now. And I don't think you're going to like it too much."

Miroku gulped. "Wh-what is it? In Sango going to be okay? Is there anything at all you can do for her?"

"Calm down, it's nothing like that. **She'll** be fine; it's you I'm worried about. Sango is going through menopause." All three men just stared at her. She rolled her eyes. "Menopause. _The change?_" there expressions were blank. "Sango is getting to where she cannot have anymore children. Now Miroku, you're going to have to be really sensitive to her needs right now."

"What exactly should I come to expect?"

"Periods of hot and cold, major mood swings, severe sensitivity in her emotions. That's why you'll have to be very careful while you are around her. She'll anger very quickly if you upset her enough." Kagome said in a low voice. "And don't mention anything about it to her. That will only upset her more."

"Mood swings! How long will this last?"

"I can't say. Some don't even seem to have any of the symptoms. Others have them for years, or even for the rest of their lives. It really depends on the person."

"M-m-mood swings? How bad of mood swings are you talking about? Not like when she was pregnant, I hope." Miroku thought back to all Sango's pregnancies. With Mai he only needed a few simple stitches, with Cho it was stitches across the length of his brow, with Hana it was a broken wrist and with Yumi Sango had dislocated his shoulder. All of them started with Sango getting angry at some trivial matter and ended with Miroku getting fixed up by Keade or Kagome and Sango crying that she had hurt him so badly. If she was going to be going through more of those kind of mood swings, he was going to have to buy a suit of armor or something for his own protection.

"Most likely." Kagome replied. InuYasha smirked. The monk was getting exactly what he deserved.

**A/N::sweatdrop: ehe… thanks to a couple of reviewers for pointing out the translation mistake. Apparently one of my sources isn't that reliable. Extra points to you two! Usagi doesn't mean Moon, its Rabbit. :shrugs: My bad.**

**So… we're not suppose to 'interact' with my reviewers here… bummer. But, I have defied them. :evil laugh: I have set up a website where you can view my answers to your reviews! Sadly, no more awards will be given. :sly grin: I've instead have gone to a point system! Every review gives you at least one point, more points depending on how much I like the review. I'll also have trivia questions that will give you even more points!**

** Question #1:**

**I've heard many pairings of Shippou and the little sister of the Thunder Brothers. So… If you can tell me what the baby would be called (pup, kit, baby, ect…) it's worth 5pts. Review away::wink:**


	3. The Hanyou

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 3: The Hanyou**

Kita (north) stumbled away, pushing aside branches and shrubs in her way, glancing back to make sure her pursuers where not catching up with her. Deep gouges from claws crossed her face, her back had been ripped to shreds, one leg was broken and getting worse as she ran, and she was sure her shoulder had popped out of place, but she kept running. She couldn't allow herself to get caught by them, not this early in the game. There was just too much at stake.

Kita kept going until she was well out of the territory of her new enemies. Finally she slumped down onto the ground, taking long deep breaths. Her whole body ached from the beating she had received only a few hours before. Kita had to rest, just for a moment. Her blood loss had drained her of energy, as had her short-lived battle. If she could just sit there, just for awhile, and rest. But as soon as she closed her eyes, a familiar burning sensation hit her. A glowing red line appeared around her neck, slightly cutting off her air supply.

Kita stood wearily to her feet and set off again. The burning sensation soon passed as she staggered along. She kept moving until she reached a small clearing in the middle of the woods, a man in a dark colored robe standing at the edge with his back turned. Kita fell to her hands and knees, gasping for her every breath. "I…he…" she swallowed hard. "I-I couldn't do it. I couldn't carry out your will. The castle is too closely guarded, Master."

"I should have expected as much from a hanyou, especially one as weak as you. No matter. There are other ways of getting what I want. But as for you, you will learn to do better for your master." The red line around her neck glowed once more, this time with more force. Kita raised her hands, pulling at the invisible force threatening her. "Next time I tell you something, you do it with no questions asked. Don't worry about your own pathetic life, because if you fail me once more, I will not be lenient, and there are things much worse then death."

Kita gasped, pulling in as much air as the spell-collar would allow. Her head was spinning, her eyes going blurry, every muscle in her body burning under the effects of the spell. The force holding her finally let go. Kita fell face first to the ground, darkness surrounding her, covering her senses and numbing the feelings of her wounds. It was a welcomed darkness, a darkness sent to give the girl a small flicker of peace.

She wasn't from around here at all. She had come from the northern wolf tribe on the mainland. Born as a hanyou from a human mother, her tribe allowed her to stay, until her father and mother were murdered. Her father was once the leader of the tribe, and he had always had a fascination with humans. When the tribe decided it was time for him to chose a mate, they were furious that it was a human, but none would stand against their strong leader. Until one day, a few weeks after Kita turned three, a younger inexperienced wolf challenged her father for leadership.

The wolf-youkai lost, but others within the tribe attacked Kita's already worn father, and killed him. They all became blood thirsty, dragging Kita and her mother from their den, throwing them to the ground. Then, they killed her. Right in front of Kita. There was so much blood; it was everywhere, splashed across her face, soaked into the ground, on the very claws of her kin.

After that, everything went downhill. They didn't kill her, no, they had plans for her, plans for the hanyou to warn all others of what would happen to such a creature born into their tribe. Kita became nothing more than a servant of the tribe to be ordered and kicked around by everyone else in her tribe. She was the first in fights and last one allowed to eat. Even the young pups were allowed food before her. During the warring era, she nearly starved on several occasions. When she finally did get food, she had to hurry and eat what she could before someone else stole it from her.

On some days, she wanted nothing more than to be killed to end her suffering once and for all, but her parents had taught her to never give up that way, to always have hope for something good. Finally, one day she just couldn't take it anymore. She left. Not only did she leave the territory, she left the area completely. Kita found herself here, with a chance at a new start. Her hopes didn't last very long. She found no matter how far you run, no matter how much you hope differently, hanyous were just not welcomed anywhere.

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"I still don't see why **you** have to go. Sesshomaru can find someone else to take care of Rin. It's not like there aren't any other human females that can take care of her." InuYasha carried Kagome through the forest toward the Western lands.

"It's not everyday your niece gets married, InuYasha. She wants you and Makoto there just as much as she wants me there."

"Keh."

Makoto followed along behind the two reluctantly. Sango, Miroku, and the girls were following close behind him, Shippou and the others were going to meet them at Sesshomaru's castle. Jaken had arrived in the village a few days before announcing that Rin was getting married and wanted everyone there to celebrate with her. Kagome and Sango had squealed in excitement at being asked to help in the planning and arrangements. The men had just looked at each other and frowned. They knew exactly what that meant for them. A lot of yelling and running around. Makoto had tried everything to get out of having to go. Weddings were just not something he cared for too much.

He was a hanyou, half youkai, and youkai don't have weddings. It was completely pointless as far as he was concerned, but Kagome had told him that it was a ceremony to show everyone how much two people loved each other, and tell each other that they would stay by the others side no matter what happened. Needless to say, he ended up having to go anyway. They were not even halfway to the castle and he was already getting aggravated with his traveling companions.

"Makoto I'm tired. Can you carry me?" Yumi tugged on his haori. He sighed but bent down so the girl could climb on his back. He, InuYasha, and Shippou stopped, all sniffing the air. InuYasha growled low and took a few steps back holding Kagome tight against his chest. Makoto and Shippou both looked at each other, then toward the scent.

"What is it, Shippou?" Tani asked, slightly worried.

"A youkai, and blood." He replied.

"That other scent is familiar. The blood is from that she-wolf that ran into me a few weeks ago." Makoto eased Yumi back down and told her to stay with the others. Shippou nuzzled Tani's cheek and followed him. "I don't like this, Shippou. Something's defiantly wrong here."

"It is strange. That youkai presence is what's getting on the wrong side of my nerves." Shippou wrinkled his nose. "Something's all too wrong about it." Makoto nodded in agreement and kept walking toward the stench. The youkai had gone, a few hours ago at least. The hanyou, on the other hand, was still somewhere near and with major blood loss. The smell was nearly choking his senses. "Hey, is that her?" Shippou asked, pointing over to a lump of red and green.

Makoto took off to the wolf-hanyou's side. "She looks pretty bad off. All the minor wounds have almost completely sealed, but her leg looks almost snapped in two. She has a nasty gash across her face, too, and on her arm."

"You've seen this wolf before?" Kagome asked as InuYasha set her on her feet.

"Keh. Yea. Like I said, she ran into me."

"And left him sprawled out on the ground with a nasty bump to the head, too." Shippou added with a sly grin. Makoto gave out a low growl.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temple with her thumb. "Well, I hate to miss Rin's wedding, but the village is closer and we can't just leave the poor girl out here like this. We'll just have to go back."

Makoto thought. He knew how to care for such injuries, Kagome had taught him. She wanted to go to Rin's wedding, and he didn't. "I'll take care of her." He spoke up. "I'll take her back to the village. That way all of you can still go, and she'll still be looked after."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Makoto. This girl is seriously injured and…"

"Trust me?" Makoto stared deeply into his okaa's eyes, something that always seemed to work when he was asking for something as a child. For some reason, Kagome could never say no to his eyes.

Kagome looked at InuYasha. Trust had become a big thing to them. InuYasha slowly nodded, Kagome sighed. "Alright. If you think you can handle this on your own, then it's fine. We'll be gone for two weeks, so you'll have to take care of her for awhile. Mend her wounds, and keep her in the hut until we get back. I don't want her to leave until I've looked her over." She gave his arm a light squeeze before turning back to InuYasha. He gave Makoto a stern look that seemed to tell him _no goofing off_, and nodded.

Makoto carefully picked the she-wolf up in his arms, trying not to bother her injuries too much. The girl grunted at the movement, but other than that didn't stir. He was off in a flash toward the village which was hours away. _At least I don't have to go to Rin's wedding, and I have an excuse too._ He grinned. He liked Rin and his little nephew, but he really didn't feel like going off anywhere, much less listening to his oyajii and uncle fighting the entire time. The two never let up on each other. Shippou, Miroku, Sango and his okaa had told him that the way they fought now was nothing like it use to be. At one point they wanted nothing more than to kill each other. How Makoto saw it, they still wanted to kill each other but Kagome and Usagi wouldn't allow it.

After another few hours of traveling with the girl wrapped securely in his arms, Makoto finally got back to the village and laid her on a futon in the corner of the hut. He went into his parent's room and gathered some of Kagome's make-shift first aid supplies. The young wolf wasn't looking too well. She had become even paler since the trip back to the village. The first thing he took care of was the dislocated shoulder. Makoto grabbed a piece of cloth, tying one end to the girl's wrist and holding the other in his own hand. He situated himself with one foot against her upper side just below the arm and in one fluid motion jerked the cloth with his hand and pushed against her with his foot. There was a sickening 'pop' followed by a pain-stricken moan as the bone relocated into its socket. Makoto grimaced. He knew that kind of pain all too well, having dislocated various bones several times, himself.

Next he had to take care of all the open wounds. He didn't know where to start. The gouge across her cheek looked bad, but it wasn't really too deep. Since she was hanyou, he didn't bother with any of the smaller cuts; they would be healed in a few days anyway. Makoto used his heightened sense of smell to sniff for the larger wounds, finding a few across the back of her legs and one on the same shoulder that had been dislocated. He easily stitched up the wound on her shoulder and patched it up rather quickly. What he was really worried about was the condition of her legs. Those wounds were deep, and one had been broken completely in half. It would take more than just a few days for those to heal. One wound had nearly sliced her foot off at the ankle. Makoto sighed and got to work: cleaning, cutting, stitching, wrapping, using herbs and various concoctions Kagome had created with the help of her experiences with Keade and her time in modern Tokyo.

Her back was in pretty bad shape, too, nearly ripped to shreds by claws marks. It took Makoto awhile to clean all those wounds. Whatever she had gotten herself into was defiantly bad. He finished up her back, deciding on a full wrapping instead of individual bandages. Her kimono was useless now anyway. He could redress her in one of Kagome's old kimonos. It looked as if they were the same size anyway, and he couldn't just let her lay there in only those bandages, though they covered most her body.

He moved on down. The broken leg was the biggest problem. If Makoto didn't set it just right, it would grow into place crooked and be useless, and he didn't have anything that could numb the pain for the poor girl. He took the cloth he had used with her shoulder and placed it in her mouth. With a deep breath, he wrapped his hands around her ankle and jerked hard. He heard the bone grinding itself into place and a loud whimper from the girl as she bit down hard onto the cloth, his ears flattened on his head.

He made a splint to keep the leg straight while it healed and used another wet cloth to wipe the muck off her face and ears. There wasn't much he could do about the ankle but wrap it tight and keep the bandages clean. He dressed her in another green kimono of Kagome's, cut to the short length as she liked to wear from her time. What had happened to the she-wolf to put her in this kind of condition? Makoto watched on as she finally seemed to relax a bit just as the sun started going down, dark clouds covering the sky.

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InuYasha covered Kagome in his haori as the rain pounded down on them even harder. It was just one of those freak storms that seem to pop up out of nowhere. His mate shivered from the cold in his arms. Miroku was doing his best with his girls. Sango kept Yumi held tight against her chest while Kirara sheltered them with her tails, Miroku had Hanna and Cho walking under his long robe, and Shippou gave his haori to Tani and Mai who were walking with an arm wrapped around each other to stay warm.

They had to find some sort of shelter, and fast. The youkai and hanyou could easily take the weather, maybe even Miroku and Sango since they had been through this sort of thing before, but with the younger humans and Kagome heavy with a pup, they wouldn't be able to stay in this weather too much longer. He needed to find some place dry where they could build a fire and get the humans warmed up. InuYasha shook his hair out of his face where he could see better. Through the rain, he still couldn't see all too well, but he did know where they were now, and he knew of a cave nearby that he and Kagome had used several times in their travels.

"Miroku!" InuYasha yelled over the sounds of the storm. Miroku turned his head to listen. "Follow me!" Miroku nodded and nudged his wife and girls toward the hanyou. Soon they were all in the cave with a small fire going. InuYasha made sure everyone was alright before he and Shippou went back out into the storm to hunt, coming back with a few good sized game and cooking them over the fire. They all ate in silence as the thunder rumbled above them. Kagome put down the squirrel she had barely touched and rubbed her head against InuYasha's shoulder. "Kioshi, you feeling alright?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her and using his free hand to feel her forehead for fever.

Kagome shook her head. She wasn't feeling good at all. She was pregnant, wet, and cold, her feet hurt, her back ached, her rebel of a son was home alone with a strange hanyou girl, and her unborn pup was not happy in the least. Kagome's whole stomach ached from the pup's kicking and punching. This pregnancy was getting worse than her last one. It was becoming more and more difficult and she was only in the second month. She let out a heavy sigh as InuYasha gently lifted her into his lap and settled down against the stone wall of the cave. Yumi was sleeping between Miroku and Sango while Hanna, Cho, and Mai were sleeping on either side of their parents with Kirara curled up at their feet in a light snore. Shippou had Tani wrapped tightly in his haori laid in his lap and leaning against the wall much like InuYasha and Kagome.

"You better not get sick, wench." InuYasha half-whispered as he nuzzled into Kagome's hair. He was worried. He couldn't help but worry when it came to the safety of his family. Being alone for as long as he had, he learned rather quickly how much he now had to lose. His days of being a reckless, hot-headed hanyou were over. Now he was only a semi-reckless, not as hot-headed hanyou, and when it came to his family or his friends, he was dead serious.

"I'll be fine, InuYasha." She wiggled deeper into his arms. "I hope Makoto got back to the village okay."

"Keh. He made it back hours before this storm hit. You know that, you're worrying about nothing."

Kagome elbowed her mate's stomach. "You're worried too, baka, quit pretending you're not. You said that you could smell a youkai around that girl. Is that what happened to her?"

"I don't think so. The she-wolf was attacked long before she reached that clearing. I couldn't get a whiff of her attackers; the scent was just too old and covered by her blood. That youkai, the one in the clearing? I know that scent from somewhere. There was too much blood contaminating it that I still can't figure it out." InuYasha sighed and slumped lower against the wall.

Kagome reached up and kissed his cheek. "You'll figure it out. You always do."

"Keh."

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**Hm. No one got the answer to the last Trivia Question: It would be called a Thunder-Kit:laughs hysterically: Get it? Thunder-Kit? _Thunder Cats?_ :Ahem: anyway…**

**Go to **

**w w w. freewebs dot com/kachikitsucasa**

**That's were the points and other stuff is located. I'll try to update regularly, but no promises.**


	4. Awakening and Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 4: Awakening and Arrival**

Kita slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the sudden light and the sharp pain that ran through her body. Everything ached. She thought back, trying to remember why she felt so bad. She bolted to her unsteady feet when her memories finally came back to her, the pain in her leg sending her back to the wooden floor. Wooden floor? Kita took her first look around at her new surroundings. She was in a room in a hut, a sliding door to the left and a window to the right the only exits, and the window was too small for her to fit out of. She found that she was lying on a futon, half way covered with a soft blanket and dressed in a green kimono that matched the color of her eyes. Her throbbing leg was in a splint, and her wounds wrapped in bandages. How had she gotten there? Where was she?

Kita decided not to stick around long enough to find out. Odds were, her master was looking for her already and if she wasn't found, he wouldn't hesitate using the subduing spell on her at all. She shivered. That's exactly what she did **not** need right now, not with all the injuries she already had. She took another glance toward the sliding door, her wolf-like ears swiveling this way and that trying to pick up any sound that would suggest she was not alone. There was none. Slowly and carefully she eased herself to her feet, wincing as the pain shot up her leg, but ignoring it long enough to stand. Kita hoppled over to the door, opening it slightly to take a glance out. The next room was considerably larger. A small fire was casting a dim glow from the fire pit, a pot of water boiling over it. Dried herbs of all kinds were hanging from rafters.

Kita opened the door enough to squeeze through, looking again for any sign of movement. There were two other doors, one had to be the way out. She tried the one to her left, only to be lead to another bedroom, with a strange looking heap on the floor covered by a flowing golden cloth instead of a futon like the other room. She closed the door again and held on to the side of the wall, feeling suddenly very weak and exhausted. Kita guided herself along to the other door that had to be the one out of the hut. She was close, so close to getting out, when she heard footsteps and smelled fresh animal blood coming from behind the door. She scrambled into the nearest corner and made herself as small as she possibly could with the splint still on her leg.

An inu-hanyou with flowing silver hair with black stripes and stunning golden eyes pushed open the door carrying a wild boar over one shoulder and a canister of fresh water on the other. He didn't seem to notice Kita at first, plopping the skinned animal meat down beside the fire, using his claws to slice it into strips and putting it into the boiling water. He used a deep wooden spoon to dip water out of the canister and take a drink, drying his mouth on the sleeve of his haori. _I…I've seen him…somewhere…I've seen him before._ Kita thought to herself, sinking even deeper into her corner. One of her claws scraped against her leg and she let out a gasp. The strange inu-hanyou stopped what he was doing, his ears standing at attention on the top of his head.

Slowly his head turned, his golden eyes laying on Kita. Her palms were now flat against the wall, as was her back and her head, trying to get as far away from the stranger as possible. _What will he do now? What does he want?_ Kita asked herself as her eyes started to water. She started to growl deep in her throat as the stranger approached. He stopped his advances, but made no move to back away. Instead he sat where he stood, crossing his arms in his haori and occasionally stirring the pot over the fire. Kita sniffed. Her stomach growled, not going unnoticed by the inu who smirked out of the corner of his mouth. She had to admit, she was starved, and whatever he was cooking smelled good.

A sudden movement caused Kita's eyes to look back up. The inu had moved, carrying a bowl of food to her. "Its stew. Not as good as okaa makes it, but its pretty good just the same." He said, taking another step forward and holding out the bowl in his hand. Kita sunk back and growled, but with less force. "I'm not going to hurt you or anything." She showed no sign of accepting the offered food. The inu shrugged and placed the bowl back next to the fire, taking his own in hand and eating a few big bites. _It…it really wouldn't hurt. Just one bowl of food wouldn't hurt._ She was staring at the bowl on the floor, letting out an involuntary whine. The inu cocked his eyebrow and grinned. "If you want it, you'll have to come and get it." He replied.

Kita looked from the bowl, to the hanyou, and back again. Should she trust him? He did mend her wounds and he could attack her at anytime with the condition she was in. Maybe he was alright. She slowly stood, letting her weight fall on one side, and took a step forward. The inu smiled and went back to his own bowl of food. Kita didn't take her eyes off of him as she stooped over and picked up the bowl, instantly recoiling back to the wall. She sniffed at the contents of the bowl. A mixture of herbs, meat, and other things Kita couldn't identify, it smelled good. She took a cautious bite. It tasted even better than it smelled. Either that, or she was just plain hungry. Within a few moments the entire bowl was empty and Kita sat it down next to her regretfully. She was still starving.

"You can have more if you want." The inu offered. He motioned for her to sit across from him on the other side of the fire; the side away from the escape door. Kita sighed inwardly and sat at the fire, pouring more of the stew into her bowl. The inu was completely ignored as she ate her fill. "What's your name, anyway?" he asked.

Kita argued with herself before deciding to play along, for now. "Kita." She replied simply. Her heart beat was racing as she wondered what was to happen next.

"Kita?" she nodded. "Well, I think I should take a look at that leg to make sure it's healing straight." He made a reach for the bandages but was stopped short by a fierce growl and scared snarl. "Fine." He shook his palms in front of him and mumbled under his breath. "Ungrateful she-wolf, they're all the same." He looked back to Kita and sighed. "You look beat. Go back into the room and get some sleep." Kita reluctantly stood and went back into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly cracked to peek out. The inu stretched himself out by the fire, guarding the exit door. Kita shut the door the rest of the way and went back to the futon. As long as she was here, and couldn't get out, she should make the best of it. Her eyes drifted closed as she fell into a much needed sleep.

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Makoto threw the skinned boar meat over his shoulder, taking the container of water he had retrieved from the stream and slinging it across the other, wiping the sweat off his forehead in the process. It had been a good day for him. No one around bugging him about Akina, the storm clouds had dispersed in the early morning leaving behind a clear and sunny day. He was a little worried about the others having to travel through that horrible weather, but it didn't concern him too much. His oyajii and Shippou were there to guard the others and lead them somewhere safe from the storm. Makoto slid open the door, throwing down the meat and water and settling down by the fire. He started stripping the meat with his claws and dropping it into his stew. He casually took a drink of the water and was about to settle himself down for a short nap when as sudden gasp from the corner caught his attention. His ears swiveled around to the wolf-hanyou in the corner.

As he turned his head to face her, she cowered away into the corner ever further. Makoto got to his feet and made a move to approach the girl. She started to growl deep in her throat and he stopped his advances, but made no move to back away. Instead he sat where he stood, crossing his arms in his haori and occasionally stirring the pot over the fire. Makoto smirked as he heard the faint sound of the she-wolf's stomach growling. _I'd bet she's starved, by the looks of it._ He thought to himself. He took a spoonful of the stew in the pot and tested it. Satisfied, he proceeded to pour two bowlfuls. As he stood and made his way toward the girl she cringed.

"Its stew. Not as good as okaasan makes it, but it's pretty good just the same." He said, taking another step forward and holding out the bowl in his hand. The she-wolf sunk back and growled, but with less force. "I'm not going to hurt you or anything." She showed no sign of accepting the offered food. Makoto sighed to himself and placed the bowl down next to the fire. If she wanted it, she was going to have to get it herself. He ate his own bowlful and watched as she stared at the bowl on the floor, letting out what could only be a regretful whine from her lips. Makoto cocked his eyebrow and grinned. "If you want it, you'll have to come and get it." He replied.

The girl seemed to be debating with herself before slowly making her way to the fire, grabbing hold of her food, and recoiling back to the wall. She sniffed, and started to eat. Makoto watched as she dug in, emptying the bowl in moments. "You can have more if you want." He motioned for her to sit across from him on the other side of the fire. Reluctatly she sat and started eating again. Despite how much he tried to clean her, Makoto couldn't help but noticed the dried blood and dirt that hid her features. He would have to get some water from the hot springs where she could clean herself properly later. "What's your name, anyway?" he asked.

"Kita." She replied simply.

"Kita?" she nodded. "Well, I think I should take a look at that leg to make sure it's healing straight." He made a reach for the bandages but was stopped short by a fierce growl and scared snarl. "Fine." He shook his palms in front of him and mumbled under his breath. "Ungrateful she-wolf, they're all the same." He looked back to Kita and sighed. "You look beat. Go back into the room and get some sleep." Kita reluctantly stood and went back into the bedroom. It was obvious to Makoto she wanted to leave, but he had promised Kagome that he would keep the wolf there until she had a chance to look over her. Two weeks. That's how long the others would be gone. Two weeks he had to put up with the she-wolf. _Kita. Keh. She probably deserved what she got._ Makoto's thoughts came to him half-heartedly. He had no reason to be mad with Kita; it was Akina he was furious with. Makoto gave one last sigh before spreading himself in front of the door and falling asleep.

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InuYasha held Kagome tightly wrapped in his arms as they continued toward Sesshomaru's castle. His fear had come true and during the night Kagome had developed a high fever. He was able to break it just before dawn and they all continued their journey. He just wanted to get to the castle where Kagome could have a nice, warm, dry room instead of the cold air laying in his lap all night. Miroku and his family came out of the storm unscathed, though Sango was a little irritable, and Yumi was slumbering on Kirara's back. Kagome stirred and yawned in his arms.

"How long till we get there, InuYasha?" she asked faintly.

"Not much longer. We'll make it there before nightfall." He nuzzled her cheek and gave her a quick kiss.

"Aren't you tired? I can walk for awhile."

"Keh! You'd just trip all over yourself." He grinned. "Pathetic human wench."

"Baka."

"Wench."

"Ba-," Kagome was cut short as InuYasha gave her a quick kiss on the lips. His smug smirk grew as his silencer worked yet again. She sighed and placed her hand over her stomach as the unborn pup kicked. "Maybe we should just go back to the village, InuYasha. I'm really worried about Makoto."

"Keh. Makoto can take care of himself, Kagome. He's old enough to make his own decisions now; he's not a pup anymore."

"I know, I know, but he's always so reckless, like you use to be. And now he has that poor girl there to care for on his own." She paused. "I should have just gone back with him. I can't believe I let him go back with her on his own."

"Oba, Makoto may be a little reckless at times, but he does know how to keep his priorities straight." Mai chipped in. "The mutt can be useful at times." She added with a bright grin.

Kagome sighed. "You're right. I guess it's just hard for me to believe my baby isn't a baby anymore." She looked to Shippou. "Same goes for you! You were never supposed to grow taller than me!" she slapped angrily at the full-grown kit.

Shippou let out a soft cackle. "Sorry, Okaa. I promise I won't do it again." He grinned. The group fell silent as they trudged along the path to Sesshomaru's castle. Just as the sky started to darken, the sun hiding itself in the horizon, they made it to their destination. At the door stood a couple of inu-youkai, who reluctantly stepped aside to grant their visitors passage as they were ordered. In the main hall, Rin wasted no time running up to the group and hugging them each in turn. InuYasha set Kagome down on her feet, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist for support.

"Rin is so glad all of you have come!" she exclaimed. "Lord Sesshomaru will be down in a moment. Please, sit. I will bring drinks." The young woman bowed to her guests as she left down a corridor for the drinks. She came back moments later with freshly brewed warm tea; handing out the cups and settling herself down beside Kagome. "Rin has noticed Makoto did not come."

Kagome took a sip of her tea. "We ran into a bit of trouble on the way and he had to go back to the village. I'm sorry he couldn't make it."

Rin frowned. "It wasn't anything serious, was it?"

"Oh, no. We just met someone who needed a bit of help, that's all. Nothing to worry about."

"Oba! Oji!" a little inu-youkai with long silver hair and the trademark stripes on his cheeks ran and jumped into InuYasha's lap, making him knock over his hot tea all over himself. The boy paid no mind to InuYasha's slight discomfort and started groping at his uncle's haori sleeves. "What did you bring me Oji!"

"Keiji. That is quite enough." A stern voice came from the stairs. Sesshomaru and his mate, Usagi, walked to the head of the table arm in arm. Keiji frowned and looked at his mother, who smiled back.

"I think I've got something, Keiji." Kagome said, reaching down into her small pouch. Her hand came up holding three sugar sticks. Keiji wasted no time in grabbing up the prize and stuffing one in his mouth with a muffled "Thank you!" to follow. It always amazed Kagome and InuYasha how affectionate the pup was despite his father's rough outlook. Usagi left her mate's side to join Kagome.

"Kagome-san." She said with a slight bow. "I see you are well in your pregnancy. How far along are you now?"

"Only three months. I still have two months to go before we'll be seeing this pup. Not that it's going to let me forget about it being there anytime soon. The pup kicks worse than Makoto ever did."

"Keh. Pup's gotta learn that his Okaa's just a human." A quick look at Kagome and InuYasha's ears flattened. "What!" Kagome shook her head and sighed. Shippou and the others knew that he would most likely get 'sat' for that comment later.

Miroku stood from his position on one side of the table, Sango following suit. "I think I should get my wife and daughters to bed. It has been a long journey and we all can do with some rest."

"Oh, of course!" Rin exclaimed standing and motioning them to follow her. The girls followed right behind their parents, Shippou and Tani behind them, and finally InuYasha helped Kagome to her feet and helped her up the stairs. He gave Sesshomaru a small glance as they passed, his brother not acknowledging him but instead leading his mate and pup down the hall to their own room.

Rin lead the group to three rooms on the second floor, passing by other inus within the castle. A few seemed to feel indifferently about the humans and hanyou, others scowled and made cold remarks loud enough for all of them to hear. Despite that the jargons were also aimed at her, Rin kept a bright smile on her face as she silently showed them into the rooms. The rooms themselves were quite nice, though not as nice as the bedrooms InuYasha had built in his own hut, but way better than the room in the tower he and Kagome had been shoved into the first time. Each room was equipped with the proper number of futons for each of the families, InuYasha and Kagome's room being the room with opened windows and closest to the stairs.

Sesshomaru must have known InuYasha would be more protective and prefer an easy out if push came to shove. Within minutes he could hear the sound of shallow breathing from the room next to theirs, signaling that his nieces had already drifted off. Kagome had already changed into a more comfortable sleeping outfit and was rolling out one of the futons by the windows. InuYasha snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, letting out a low growling sound which tickled Kagome's ear and made her giggle. "What's so funny, wench?" he replied in a husky voice, taking the moment to lay chaste kisses on the back of his mate's neck.

"Slow down, dog-boy." She turned in his arms and laid her head against his shoulder. "This pathetic human wench is too tired to play games tonight. Which reminds me…sit." 'THUMP!' "That's for that comment earlier."

InuYasha didn't mind the sitting too much, as he was expecting it, and that the close vicinity they were in when he was 'sat' left his head in Kagome's lap. He sighed and nuzzled her stomach with his nose, kissing it softly. The still-growing pup chose that time to kick hard against it's Okaa.

"Oi pup!" InuYasha pulled back and rubbed his hand against his cheek. "This pup's already gonna be a handful." His ears flattened. "It doesn't hurt when the pup kicks, does it Kagome?"

She smiled at her hanyou's sweet care of her. "Sometimes, but not that much." InuYasha gave a solemn nod and helped his mate onto the futon, taking off his haori and covering her before slipping in behind her.

**A/N:**

**Augh…. Website link .**

**Anyway, here it is again, maybe it'll work. **

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)Tsucasa**

**Review and tell me what you think. I need to know if you like it so far.**


	5. Dark Secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 5: Dark Secrets**

Makoto roused from his sleep just after sunrise to the sound of one of the sliding doors opening, followed by the light patter and shuffling of feet against the wooden floor. He opened one eye to see the she-wolf slowly stepping over his feet to the entrance door. He smirked and grabbed her unhurt ankle gently with one clawed hand. She let out a sudden gasp and tumbled to the floor, landing on her butt. Makoto cackled and rolled into a sitting position, looking at the girl in amusement. His enjoyment was short lived, his ears flattening and lips straightening as the girl cowered into a corner and made herself as small as possible. He hadn't meant to scare her like he did.

Kita herself was trembling, her heartbeat quickening. She was frightened, not so much of the sudden scare from the hanyou, but because of the slight tingling around her neck that had awakened her moments before. Her Master was sending her his warning. That kind of twinge on the spell told Kita she was to meet her Master at the clearing within two weeks, or face the effects of her entrapment. She buried her face in her arms as she fought to regain control of her nerves. If He was already calling to Kita, that meant He had another job for her on His behalf. At the suddenness of the calling she had panicked and tried to sneak past the inu-hanyou, only to be left flat on her butt. Now her leg and ankle were aching again, as were the rest of her wounds that had yet to heal.

"I didn't mean to scare you, it's just you can't go sneaking out with wounds like those. Even in these woods you wouldn't be safe for very long." She didn't respond. Makoto stood and slowly walked closer. "Hey, um, if you're hungry I can fix you something. Kita…are you alright?"

Kita was regaining control over herself. First her breathing, trying to slow down her breaths back to normal. Then the shaking. Her hands were still shaking. She had panicked, something she knew she should never do. Panicking makes you unaware of things around you. If she had just taken her time she could have slipped past the inu without him knowing. She could already be on her way to her Master.

"Look, I really should change those bandages. It'll only get worse if it gets infected." Kita looked up from where she sat and slightly nodded her head. Her wounds hadn't healed as fast as she would have liked. Even as a hanyou, a leg injury such as hers was no simple matter in the feudal era. Kita could walk on it but not without pain, and her still sore ankle caused her to stumble. After Makoto had finished with the bandaging, he reached into a clay pot and pour rice into the pot over the fire pit, lighting the fire and adding water to the rice for a quick breakfast.

"What's your name?"

"Hm?"

"I told you mine. What's your name?"

"Makoto." He answered. Makoto saw her shift uncomfortably. "What happened to you out there anyway?"

Kita paused, thinking for the right words without telling the inu too much. "I-I just got the wrong people mad, that's all." She replied. Something was confusing her. Makoto was obviously a hanyou like her, but he was different. Cheerful almost. How could a half-breed be cheerful? And he was living in a hut like a human, with a human village not far away. Didn't the villagers try to chase him away, or kill him? Kita had met very few humans, but it didn't take very long for her to find that she was not welcomed by them, even if her mother was once a member of their village.

It had been two years since Kita left her homeland and traveled to this place. Just a year and a half since she met her Master and was forced into submission by a spell placed on a thin silver hair strung around her neck. You couldn't even tell it was there unless you were actually looking for it. He had never told her why, or given her any explanation at all as to why he wanted her to do all the things she had for him. At first it was a task of tracking down some miko that had obviously ticked him off in the past. After Kita failed to find the miko, she received her first true 'punishment'. Her 'collar' had been activated before, with low tingles and tight spasms that would cut off her supply of air, but that time had been different. The pain was unbearable.

The spell started slow at first, bruising her throat with its force, but it didn't stop there as it normally did. Her Master was far from finished with her punishment. Next, her lungs tightened so much she felt as if her insides were going to explode, not allowing her precious air supply to replenish itself. Then her head started pounding, she could hear her blood flow through her ears as her heart rate increased. By then every cell in her body was aching, sending her crashing to the ground on her knees. Her insides burned flaming hot, her dry throat not allowing her to scream her anguish.

Just as quickly at the memory came, it disappeared. She shook her head as if to shake away her thoughts. After that, her Master had given up on finding the miko, and sent Kita out on a number of other quests, mainly just being a slave with a few occasional battles against his foes. Every time Kita failed to meet her Master's expectations, the spell would be reactivated full force. She had tried everything she knew to get the hair out from around her neck, but the spell must have also been created to protect its conductor, as the hair was indestructible.

"Food's ready." Makoto called Kita out of her trance. His golden eyes looked at her with deep concern. He must have been watching her the whole time. A slight blush crept across her face as she took the couple of rice balls from Makoto and started to nibble on one. "Like I said, I'm not as good of a cook as Okaa-san, but it's not too bad."

Kita thought the food tasted great. It was the best food she had had in a long time, and she would have gulped in down if it wasn't for a tight knot in her stomach that was only getting tighter as the moments passed.

Makoto watched idly as the she-wolf took small bites of her food and swallowed hard. Something terrible had happened to her, something beyond what he could tell. Moments ago she had seemed lost in her thoughts and the sadness that had made contact with Makoto's hanyou senses were nearly overwhelming. What had pushed her into that kind of sadness? Was her family killed? Had she ever had a family? Maybe she got lost from her pack or something. Wolves rarely traveled alone, and females never traveled alone for very long. There was always a male there to protect her. Maybe that was it. Maybe her male companion had been killed by the same youkai InuYasha had smelled in the clearing where they found her.

But that in itself was also strange. For a single female and male wolf to be traveling together as a pair, but not as mates, was unheard of, and Makoto could tell she wasn't mated. She was still young, maybe fifteen, not that that was too young to be mated. And what pack she had actually come from was confusing too. The nearest pack was Kouga's, the next pack being at least a week's travel from there. Her eyes told him right off the bat that she wasn't from around here, not even the other tribe, not with the eyes she had. A swirling emerald green that made her stare so fierce he thought she would burn a hole in the floor boards if she didn't look up soon.

Kita cringed as she stood from her seat, Makoto stood also, waiting to see what the girl would do. She fidgeted with the sash of her kimono. "I-I need some water."

Makoto nodded. "Sit down, I'll get it. And don't think about running away. You'll just hurt yourself." A few minutes later he returned with fresh water from the stream. Kita greedily emptied three cups full before finally settling down and taking normal sips from her fourth. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was until the liquid hit her parched throat. Her senses were still way off track, as she had come to realize since waking up that morning. She didn't like the feel of the inu's eyes on her, or the fact that she was trapped in an enclosed area with him blocking the only exit route. Her blood was screaming for her to make a run for it and get herself outside, but her leg begged her not to move an inch. She sighed and closed her eyes to calm herself.

"W-why are you keeping me here?" she asked meekly, opening her eyes to gaze at a spot on the floor. The inu's ears perked.

"I'm not _keeping_ you here, I'm **keeping** you here. You can't go out there like you are. You'll be killed with that kind of handicap."

"So? You don't know me, we've never even met. Why would you care?" the question just flowed out of her mouth by itself. She had wanted it answered, but she also had no intention of actually _asking_ him. To her surprise his ears drooped slightly, his lips curling down at the ends into a frown.

"Because," he started, searching for the right words to say, "because you're hurt. You need help. No, I don't know you, and maybe we'll never see each other after you're better, but right now you're here and you're hurt. It's my duty to make sure you're alright before I let you go." He spoke as if she were absurd to believe anything other than his words.

"Your duty?"

Makoto nodded. "Oyaji always taught me that. He practically crams it down my throat everyday."

_Oyaji. So both of his parents are still alive. That has to be some kind of miracle. _ "Do you live here, so close to a human village?"

"Yea. I've had problems with some villagers, but most here aren't all that bad. They know me, Oyaji and Okaa protect the village so they kinda just stay back. Not to mention that my cousin Mai is married to the village headman's son."

"Your cousin? Just how big is your family?"

Makoto laughed. "Well, there's me, Oyaji, Okaa, and my adopted older brother Shippou. He's a kitsune-youkai that lost his parents when he was just a kit, and his human mate Tani. Then there's my Oba Sango and Oji Miroku. They're humans too, not really blood related, just really close to the family. Then there's my itoko (cousins) Cho, Hana, Yumi, and Mai and her husband Kisho. Then there's my Oji Sesshomaru and Oba Usagi, itoko Keiji and Rin. Rin's adopted too, a human. Oji Sess is Oyaji's half-brother. He's full youkai and lord of the western lands. Don't really see him that much."

Kita's blood ran cold. Sesshomaru. An Inu-youkai, the lord of the western lands. That's where she was, in the western lands! That was her Master's last mission for her. She was once again looking for the miko her Master wanted to find so badly when she felt him calling to her. She ran all the way back and he told her to bring back the youkai's son. She didn't want to. Kita protested until her Master threatened to use the spell on her again. She had gone as far as nearly snatching the silver haired child from the back garden, but several other inu where there and after a warning howl sounded Kita ran. She was able to evade most of them, but at least one was still hot on her trail. The inu apparently didn't want to kill her, if that were so she wouldn't be alive, but he did want to make sure she never tried anything like that again. He's the reason why Kita was now stuck here.

When she was there, laying in the clearing beaten and bloody, she just wished he would have finished her off. Kita couldn't run, she couldn't hide from her entrapment. She was a slave to her Master's every will. No matter how sinister, how horrid the deed, she had to. If Kita refused to do it herself, he would take control of her using the spell. Her claws had killed people she didn't even know. As far as she was concerned, that made her a murderer, just like all the humans believed.

"Kita? Are you alright?" Makoto was standing over her. She had gotten that dazed look over her face again, like she was thinking very deeply about something. Her eyes looked so sad and full of regret. She grimaced as she moved her leg to the side. "I can get something for you if it still hurts." He said. Kita nodded once and gazed out the window while Makoto dug through Kagome's things for the right herbal combination to soothe her pain. There really wasn't much more he could do. He had set it as best as he could, but the damage was going to be permanent. She wouldn't be able to go back to the way she once was. "Here," he handed her a foul smelling bowl, "rub this where ever you're sore. It'll help a bit with the pain."

"Makoto?" she questioned after she had finished.

"Hum?"

"What is your Okaa-san and Otou-san like?"

"Well, Oyaji can be a real pain sometimes. He likes everything done his way. Never apologizes, stuck on himself, too. Stubborn, egotistical, baka of a hanyou. That's what Okaa says." Makoto smiled. "But he's really a big softy when you get to know him, especially to Okaa. I remember one night she was in one of her moods and slammed him into the ground a few dozen times. She stalked off to cool down, but after an hour she still hadn't came back. Oyaji was practically crawling back to her once she came back. Whimpered too, but don't tell him I told you that. Okaa might get away with it, but he'd kill me."

"Your Okaa-san, she's human?"

"Yea. Oyaji's an inu-hanyou like me, but Okaa's a human, and a miko at that. Pretty darn good one too."

Kita's stomach flip-flopped. Her Master had something against this family. For some reason he wanted them all dead. The Inu-youkai lord and his child, the miko, the hanyou, and Makoto. It didn't make any sense. What was he after?

"Maybe you should go get some rest. We've been talking all morning and it's almost lunch time. I'll find something to eat and you just stay here." Makoto gave her a warning glare with the last two words as he slipped outside. She nodded in agreement and lay herself down on the floor using her arms as pillows. As soon as he was out of sight she was hobbling to her feet. She couldn't stay. Just by being here she was putting Makoto and his family into more danger than they already were. Kita knew she couldn't kill Makoto, not after all he had done for her. But if her Master found out she was with him, he wouldn't hesitate in taking the matter into his own hands. He would control her, force her into killing once again.

Kita couldn't risk it, she had to leave. The hanyous here had found peace, something she could never have, and was a bit jealous of, but she wouldn't be the cause of its downfall. She checked at the entrance, making sure Makoto indeed was gone hunting. The house had a path leading in one direction and smelled of humans, youkai, and hanyou alike. It must have led to the human village. She turned to the other direction, toward the thick forest. That was the way back to the clearing and her Master. That was the path she had to take. Feeling a bit on edge she entered, stumbling and catching her balance. If something were to attack her now, she really would be dead.

**A/N:**

**The last chapter didn't repeat within itself. I sometimes go back and do the same scene but switch the characters POV. D**

**And, well, Makoto heard of a special fan he has out there, who seems really smitten with him. So, Eowyn Organa, he has a special gift for you. :smirk:**

**:Makoto walks up sporting dark sunshades, leather jacket over a tight black shirt, and loose fitting jeans:**

**Makoto: Oi, what's up, babe? **

**:flips sunshades down with a sexy grin, grabs Eowyn's hand and kisses her palm:**

**Makoto: Tsu-chan sent me personally to give you 2 extra points for the nice review.**

**:hooks Eowyn's chin with his finger and cocks a grin:**

**Makoto: Catch you later, doll.**


	6. Human and Youkai

Disclaimer: :happy grin: I don't own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto.

**Chapter 6: Human and Youkai**

Sesshomaru's castle was swarming with activity the next day. Inu were seen up and down the halls, while a few humans swarmed just outside the gates. Kagome, Sango, Tani, Usagi, and Mai were busy going over the plans with Rin and doing the final fitting of her wedding kimono. Miroku and Shippou were busy trying to stay out of their way, and InuYasha was moping around just outside the door, occasionally growling at anyone who came too close, and annoying Kagome to death with his hanyou antics. Early that morning she had woken with a little pain in her stomach. InuYasha had tried to make her forget about all that needed to be done for the wedding and stay in bed all day, but Kagome wouldn't hear of it. It was just a little stomach pain, probably from traveling with a full load rapidly growing around that region, or the pup was growing restless and moving around too much.

But he was getting better, better than last time anyway. Kagome only had to 'sit' him twice before he agreed to let her help out, as long as she didn't go out of his earshot. Then she had to 'sit' him again after InuYasha pulled Tetsusaiga out on the priest when Kagome was trying to ask him questions about the proceedings. Despite the slight setback, Kagome had minimal trouble getting around and helping with all the arrangements. For someone who repeatedly said he didn't care for 'that human child', Sesshomaru was sure going all out for her wedding. Much to Kagome's, InuYasha's, and the rest of the groups surprise most of the inu-youkai there didn't seemed too bothered by the human wedding to take place in their castle. After Naraku was exposed for the hanyou he was, and destroyed, and the wars dying down, all of Japan was changing. Youkai and human alike were getting more accepting, or at least tolerant, of each other.

"Kagome-sama! It ripped!" Rin held out one end of her kimono, a small rip formed at the edge. She looked like she was ready to burst into tears. "Lord Sesshomaru had this kimono especially made for Rin." She pouted.

Kagome choked down a giggle and examined the kimono. "Don't worry Rin, I can fix this in no time. Sango, can you hand me a needle and thread?" Sango nodded and handed her the needle. Kagome squinted one eye as she pulled the thread through and began to sew. Years ago she wouldn't even know where to begin, but being in the feudal era for so long now she knew how to do many things the domestic way. In a few minutes the rip was repaired and Rin threw her arms around the miko.

"Thank you so much, Kagome-sama!"

Kagome and Sango smiled at each other. All these years and Rin hadn't changed a bit. She was still the sweet, innocent little girl that had a knack for following around a dangerous youkai without a second thought.

"Rin, we've all been so busy this morning and I completely forgot to ask you what your husband-to-be's name is." Mai folded her hands in her lap and waited intently, as did the other women around her. They had forgotten there even was a groom, with the rush of getting things done and all.

"Yukio. Oh! I'm sure all of you would love Yukio! He's sweet, and honest, and cute… of course he does have this rather annoying laugh… but his smile, and his…" Kagome suppressed another giggle threatening to escape her as the girl went on and on talking about Yukio in an almost gitty voice. Of course, she was never actually 'married'. She thought that if it was her, she'd probably be the same way.

"Oi! What's so funny in there, Kagome!"

"Nosy baka! Why don't you go pick a fight with your brother or something? Anything to get you out of my hair for a few minutes!" she yelled back through the door.

"Keh! Yea right! If Sesshomaru and I got into a fight you'd 'sit' me to my grave. Sesshomaru wouldn't be that far off either with that fiery mate of his." He rambled with his back to the door. "She may look innocent, and cute, but you get her mad and…" _Ooops…_ InuYasha could almost feel the tension seeping out from under the door. He quickly got down on his knees and braced himself.

"Sit! Sit! Sit!" 'THUMP!' Kagome fumed. She opened the door, grabbed InuYasha by the ear and jerked his head up to her mouth. "SIT!" 'THUMP!' She screamed into his sensitive ears and watched as the spell drug him down once again and slammed the door on him. Inside the room the other girls had stopped to watch the scene play out, but immediately got back to work when the miko turned her gaze on them. _Yep, that's right girls. Never, EVER, get a pregnant lady grouchy._

"Kagome, you know I didn't mean it that way!"

"Whatever InuYasha!" she blew him off and started to go over the flower arrangements with Sango and Mai. The castle was being decorated in the main hall, the entrance gate, and of course in the back garden where the proceedings would take place. The hardest part was trying to explain everything to the inu workers. They either knew nothing or very little about human weddings.

"No, the flowers aren't for food! They're for decoration!" she yelled at a very stubborn inu female. She had heard that humans eat both meat and plants for food, and was confused as to the why the flowers were being put in bundles and vases around the castle. Kagome shooed her out the door and turned to Rin. "Are Sesshomaru and Usagi going to follow you to the altar?" she asked.

"Rin does not know, she forgot about that." He head hung low and her eyes began to tear for what had to have been the hundredth time.

"Alright, don't worry. Um…" she opened the door and called for InuYasha. "Go find Sesshomaru or Usagi and see if they are going to escort Rin to the altar for the purification ritual. Find Yukio's parents and ask, too, and hurry up!"

"Keh." InuYasha turned and slowly walked down the stairs. No one could tell him to hurry up about anything.

"Sit!" 'THUMP! Da-da-dump!' InuYasha tumbled down the stairs and landed flat on his face.

He growled. "Stupid wench! She did that on purpose!" A pair of feet padded out in front of his face.

"InuYasha. How pathetic that your human wench has such power over you."

InuYasha growled. "Keh! If you had one of these things thrown around your neck, you'd have the same problems!" he jerked at the beaded necklace holding him to the stone floor.

"This Sesshomaru would never allow himself to be tricked into such an object. I believe you were looking for me?"

InuYasha pushed himself up, dusting off his haori. "Kagome wants to know if you're going to escort Rin to the altar during the purification." He smirked. "I'll just tell her you're too scared the priest will miss and purify you instead."

Sesshomaru's lip twitched. "This Sesshomaru will be taking the human to the altar." He turned on the pads of his feet and left.

"Oi! Hold on! Where's Yuk- what's-his-name's parents!"

"They will not be joining us."

Just as InuYasha was about to protest, Miroku rammed into him carrying a crying Yumi in his arms. "Ah, InuYasha. You don't happen to know where my darling Sango is do you?"

He could barely hear over the screaming child. "Upstairs with Kagome and Rin. First door on the right. And tell Kagome Sesshomaru will do it, but not what's-his-name's parents." Miroku nodded and ran up the stairs.

"Oyaji! Have you seen Okaa-san? The priest is here."

"Upstairs, first door on the right." The kit rushed past him, nearly knocking him off his feet again. "Oi! Has everyone gone mad!" InuYasha caught his balance and ran outside into the fresh air. He sat next to the stone wall below the window of the room Kagome and the others were in. No matter what she said, he was still worried.

"Oji?" Keiji walked up to his uncle and sat cross-legged in front of him.

"What is it pup?"

"Why is Rin getting married? Doesn't she want to mate with Yukio? Why does she have to get married? Is it because she's human? Why didn't you and Oba get married? Or Shippou and…"

"Oi, not so fast. Humans get married before they mate. It's their ritual, I guess. Kagome said she didn't need a wedding, so did Tani, so we kinda skipped it." InuYasha flicked his nephew's nose with one finger. "What's with all the questions?"

He lowered his head. "Some say that humans are going to mess up everything. And that youkai will have to fight them. We won't have to fight Oba and Rin, will we Oji?"

"Keh. Of course not, kid." He winked. "That's what we're here for. Someone's got to protect those weaklings from getting themselves into trouble."

"Some human's are mean." He said in an 'as a matter of fact' tone only the innocence of a child could create. "Some youkai and hanyou are, too."

"What makes you think that?"

"Humans were killed in the village, and yesterd-."

"That's enough, Keiji. Go back inside." Sesshomaru stated sternly. The inu-youkai pup bowed lightly and took off with amazing speed. If he had a tail, InuYasha was sure it would be tucked between his legs by now.

"What's he talking about, Sesshomaru?"

"Nothing of your concern. There was a problem. I fixed it." He turned and walked away.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I think I'm going to be sick." Rin covered her mouth with her hand. Kagome and Sango grabbed fans and worked on cooling the girl while Mai and Tani helped her back into her wedding kimono. The time had finally come, and she was a nervous wreck.

"Kagome, everyone's waiting! What's taking so long in there!" InuYasha yelled.

Mai and Tani pushed Rin toward the door, Kagome and Sango following close behind. "Out of the way, baka. We're late."

"I know you're late, wench, that's why I came to get you!"

Down the steps and into the gardens, Kagome stood next to InuYasha and the rest next to their own family members. It really surprised Kagome at how many inu attended. Some seemed perfectly fine with the idea; others looked like they were force to come. Rin, Sesshomaru, and Usagi walked up to the altar and kneeled in front of the priest. She giggled at the sight of Sesshomaru kneeling in front of anyone. Kagome looked up to see a smug grin on her hanyou's face, looping her arm in his and leaning against him. Then her eyes shot wide open and her mouth gaped.

"InuYasha…" he seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Yukio… is a youkai…" InuYasha nodded. No wonder his family didn't care to show. They were defiantly ashamed; a full youkai _mating_ a human is one thing, but getting _married_ to one was simply unheard of, ever. Yukio, alone, kneeled next to Rin and her family for the purification ritual. When it was over, they stood. Sesshomaru and Usagi went to stand in the front of the small crowd with Keiji. Yukio and Rin locked arms, proceeding in the Shinto ritual of exchanging cups and vows before their friends and family.

"Kagome?" InuYasha questioned when they were sitting at the main table during the after feast.

"Hm?" she mumbled between bites of her food.

"Why didn't you ever want to get married?"

She swallowed. "I did, at one time. Every girl my age in that time dreamed of how their wedding would be, but after everything that happened while I was here, that just seemed… pointless. In my time weddings don't always last forever." InuYasha nodded with an understanding grin.

"I love you, too _kioshi_." Kagome didn't really hear him as she had gone back to her food. Being pregnant with a hanyou, she easily ate more than InuYasha, and went as far as swiping his food. "Oi. You get one more bite off my plate and you'll be missing fingers." It was a dry threat.

"I'm starving, InuYasha! I didn't eat lunch today, and the pup's being way too restless in the mornings for me to eat breakfast. I haven't had anything all day!" after she had finished off her food and the remaining bit of InuYasha's, they made their way back up to their rooms.

InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango sat to talk while the children when off to bed. InuYasha didn't really pay any attention to what was being said. All his attention was on Kagome. She kept saying she was alright, but his senses didn't abide well with that. Kagome was tiny even by human standards. Having Makoto was a big enough strain on her small figure, and even all these years later InuYasha didn't like the idea of her going through with it again. One pup was enough for him. Sure, he wouldn't mind having a few more, like ten or twelve, but not at the expense of his mate's health and wellbeing.

It seemed like hours that Sango and Kagome just sat there talking. Talking about the wedding, Sango's wedding, all the pups, how much things had changed, how much their little group had changed. InuYasha glanced over as Kagome's eyes drooped heavier and heavier by the minute. It was time for him to step in. She would never admit she was worn out, not as long as she and the exterminator had something to talk about. Without a word he picked her up and carried her to the futon.

"InuYasha!"

"Hush, wench. It's getting late and you're about to pass out."

Kagome silently protested, giving the hanyou a punch on the shoulder for treating her like a child. "You baka, I know when my 'bedtime' is and I'm not a little girl! I can stay up as long as I want!"

"I think InuYasha's right, Kagome. I'm a bit tired myself." Sango added with a yawn to prove her point. "We're leaving tomorrow afternoon, are we not?"

"Keh. Of course."

"I would like to stay a little longer, but with Makoto and that girl at home alone, we really need to get back as soon as possible. Makoto has learned healing fairly well, but there might be more that I can do."

Sango and Miroku nodded as they both stood to their feet. "See you in the morning Kagome."

"Alright. Goodnight you two. Oh, can you check up on Shippou and Tani and tell them goodnight for me. I would but I doubt the baka would let me out of the room, since it's past my bed time." She playfully kissed her hanyou on the cheek when he gave her a sour look. He turned his nose up in mocked anger and gave out his 'Keh' in response.

"Sure. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Kagome lay back against her futon. InuYasha joined in behind her, nuzzling his nose against her neck and laying soft kisses up to her ear. "Now that we got rid of them, you're going to tell me what's wrong, wench." He breathed into her ear.

"What? Nothing's wrong."

"Kagome…" InuYasha growled and tapped his nose. "You should know by now that I notice every little change in your scent. So out with it already."

Kagome sighed and turned to face her hanyou. She smiled and gave his ears a few quick rubs. "I just outdid myself today, that's all. I'm tired."

"Ah ha! I knew it! I knew you would end up hurting yourself with all this, but do you listen to me? Oh no! Ignore the hanyou that tries to protect you. Ignore your mate, he's overprotective anyway. Kagome, you can't keep doing this to me. Yes, I worry about you, and yes, I still think you're a pathetic human wench. That's even more of a reason for me to protect you."

"InuYasha, I'm okay. Just a little more tired than usual." Kagome smiled and tweaked his nose. "Now go to sleep, you're keeping me up."

InuYasha lay down next to his mate, listening as her breathing slowed and he knew she was sound asleep, but her words didn't ease his mind at all. All his senses were telling him something just wasn't quite right with Kagome. It was possible that it was something she wasn't yet aware of. He feared for her, feared for their unborn pup. For some reason this pregnancy was getting harder, and the pup's smell had started to change a few weeks ago, then changed back. Now he was getting that same change in the pup again, and another strange smell from Kagome.

He was on the verge of whining in frustration. Or howling, which ever came first. He would do anything to save Kagome, his Kagome, but he didn't want anything to happen to their pup either. What if he had to make that choice? What if it came down to a choice between Kagome and his pup? He had seen this in Kaede's village many times over the years. Things get complicated during the birth, and either the father chose between or both the mate and pup die. How can anyone make that kind of decision?

If Kagome lived and the pup didn't, she would die of a broken heart. If Kagome left him with a newborn pup to rear all on his own, he wouldn't even know where to start, where to begin, what to do. Kagome was the one who sat up with Makoto on his human night when he was still young and afraid of the dark. She was the one who calmed him when he was attacked by a youkai and InuYasha had to pull his shoulder back into place. She was the one who made sure Makoto was fed and bathed and well taken care of as a toddler. Without Kagome, InuYasha was nothing. She was his life, the reason he had a home and a family.

He shook his head, seemingly to shake away his thoughts. He was probably just overreacting, like always. Kagome was strong, for a human, and everything would be fine. She said it herself. Tired, but okay. The scent was probably just something normal in a second pregnancy, or part of his paranoid self's imagination. He could always ask Shippou to take a few whiffs before they left. His nose wasn't as keen to InuYasha, but he would be able to sense anything different or strange in Kagome's scent. He yawned and settled himself down to sleep.

**A/N:**

**Hmmm…could something be wrong with the pup or Kagome? Or is InuYasha just being paranoid? Guess you'll have to wait and see…**

**As always, check the site for points. If you have any suggestions for the site, post it in the guestbook or e-mail me. I'm looking for new things to add.**

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	7. Surprises

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own his incredibly cute son, Makoto.

**Chapter 7: Surprises**

"Maybe you should go get some rest. We've been talking all morning and it's almost lunch time. I'll find something to eat and you just stay here." Makoto gave her a warning glare with the last two words as he slipped outside. The hot midday sun shone down on him as he took off both his outer and under haori and made his way back to the fishing pond beside the hut. A quick dip for fish sounded nice anyway. Unlike his father, he loved the water. Makoto jumped right in, a splash sending water all the way to the roof of the hut. Diving down, he was able to catch two good sized fish right away. They squirmed in his grip, trying desperately to get back into the water below, but Makoto's claws grimed them tighter as he threw them to the bank shook the water out of his ears. That was one thing about having inu-hanyou ears. It was very easy to get water in, and very hard to get water out.

He figured two more of the same sized fish would be enough for the two hanyou. The water felt great in the heat of the day, so he was a little reluctant to get out. The noonday sun was shinning against the water, causing rippling glows on the tree canopy above and across Makoto's broad chest and facial features. In no time he had caught the other two fish, all of which laid wriggling on the bank. The deed done, Makoto leaned back and floated atop the pond, letting the sun beat down on his glistening bare chest with little if not any worries upon his thoughts. He felt like he could stay out there just like that all day, but twenty minutes later from the time he left the hut, he shook himself off and carried the four cleaned fish into the hut. Mindlessly he stuck the fish on sticks and built a fire in the pit and started cooking. "Hey, Kita! Fish is on!" he yelled to the back rooms. His ears swiveled towards the doors.

Suddenly Makoto's senses were highly alert. He raced to his room and slid open the door. The only thing in there were unused bandages, herbs for her wounds, and a slept-in futon. No Kita. He raced to the other side and pulled back the door. His parents' room was untouched, their faint scent the only thing lingering in the room. Makoto growled as he raced out the door sniffing angrily. _That complete moron! Does she really think she can get **anywhere** the way she is!She'll be killed in seconds by any youkai close enough to smell her! Stupid wolves. And Okaa calls me and Oyaji stubborn. Keh. Wait till she meets Kita, if Kita lives long enough._

Trees flashed by as Makoto picked up the she-wolf's trail through the forest. Jumping logs, shrubs, saplings, and burrows at a lightning speed. It wasn't that hard to follow her scent, and didn't take long to catch up with the girl. Makoto skidded to a stop in front of a large oak, dust swarming in the air around him. Kita was sitting under the tree, breathing heavily with her eyes closed tight shut. A few of her wounds had reopened and had started bleeding through their bandages. The smell of it was almost enough to blow Makoto off his feet. "Kita, I thought I told you to stay in the hut!" her soft green eyes opened to reveal the pain and sadness coursing through her body and Makoto sighed. After all, he got his Okaa's soft-heartedness. "Look, just stay with me until you're better. Okaa-san will be here in no more than a week now, and she'll be able to heal you better than I can."

_One week…_ Kita thought through her clenched teeth. If she could be heal by the miko in one week, that would leave her plenty of time to make it back to her master. But what if the lord of the western lands had already warned the inu-hanyou and miko of her attempt with his son? Even though it wasn't really her, it was her body Master had been using. But then again, her little excursion today proved she wasn't going anywhere any time soon on her own, not like she was. Kita nodded her head, clenching her fists in defeat. "A-alright. One week." She started to struggle to her feet, helped by Makoto's arm looped in her own. She squealed as she felt herself being lifted off her feet and thrown into Makoto's strong outstretched arms. She tightened her own arms around his neck. He was carrying Kita bridal style back out of the forest and into the hut.

It amazed Kita how he was so willing to help her, even after she ran away from him. It was nice to have someone running after her without the intention to kill her, or hurt her in some way. But how long would that last? If he knew, it he only knew all the things she had done, all the people she had killed or at least caused the death of, if he only knew she was a fraud and a murderer, what would he think of her then? He defiantly wouldn't be taking care of her or carrying her as he was. Makoto. Maybe if they had met before, in a different life maybe, then they might have had a chance to be friends, maybe even more than friends. But Kita couldn't bring herself around to think of such ludicrous fantasies. She couldn't afford to fantasize about things that would never be, not when her own life wasn't hers anymore. She had to admit though, she didn't know what was worse; staying with the wolves in her pack or staying with her Master.

When they reached the hut, Kita smelled the fish cooking on the fire and her mouth watered with hunger. Makoto chuckled when he caught Kita staring at the fish, and handed her the biggest one. She gratefully accepted the offering and downed the fish in no time, Makoto handing her the second while he started on the fourth. Finishing up, he put out the fire and slid open the doors and windows throughout the hut. The heat of the day was smoldering, even in the shade. Makoto stood and offered Kita his hand. "It's too hot just to sit around all day. You like swimming?"

Kita nodded and grabbed hold of Makoto's hand, pulling her up and into his arms once again. The water was slightly warmer, but still felt rather nice to both the hanyou. "Makoto?" Kita questioned from the bank where she had her feet in the pond. "What's your family like? I mean, what are they really like?"

Makoto thought. "Well, it's kind of complicated."

"Please?" Kita really wanted to know more about the family her Master seemed so intent on getting rid of.

He sighed. "Well, Okaa-san came here through the bone-eater's well, just a few yards from that tree, Goshinboku." He pointed to where Goshinboku stood above all the other trees. "She's from 500 years in the future, a place called Tokyo. You've heard of the Shikon-no-tama, haven't you?"

"The jewel of the four souls. It's suppose to bring great power to anyone who bears in, right? It was shattered into shards years ago."

"Yea, that's the one. My Okaa was the bearer of the jewel, and the one who shattered it as well. She met Oyaji when he was pinned to Goshinboku, and released him from the spell that bound him there."

Kita looked up intently. "He's the one that was tricked by that fiend, Naraku, right? The one from the legends?"

"Legends? Jeez, don't tell Oyaji he's a legend. That'll really go to his head. But, yea. He and a miko named Kikyou were tricked into betraying each other by Naraku. After Okaa released him, they both traveled collecting the shards. First they came across Shippou; both his parents were killed by the Thunder Brothers, strong youkai that had increased their power by using shards of the jewel. After that, Shippou started traveling with them. Later on they met Miroku, and from what I've heard he was quite a womanizer back then. He was collecting the jewels and hunting Naraku to…"

"To rid his family of Naraku's curse, a hole in his hand that grew and threatened to implode on him just as his father and grandfather before."

"I guess that's part of the legend, too, huh?" Kita nodded. "Well, after that they met a youkai exterminator, Sango. She was tricked by Naraku into believing Oyaji had slaughtered her village, but eventually she realized the truth. After that, it's pretty much it."

"What happened to the jewel? It doesn't exist anymore, does it?"

"Nah. When Oyaji was killed by a dragon-youkai named Suoh, Okaa used the completed jewel to wish him back. It disappeared and that's that."

Kita slipped further into the water and edged toward Makoto. "What's your Oyaji like?"

"Keh. He's a nice guy, a little rough around the edges, but who wouldn't be with the life he had before Okaa. After his Otou-san died, his Okaa-san was killed, and he was left to fend for himself. They never told me much about it. Never really wanted to know, but I kind of get the picture. Until he met Kikyou, he had no one. You kinda tend to get a little rough when you're on your own like that."

Kita's green eyes faded and her head fell. "Yea. You tend to get that."

Makoto could sense the she-wolf's distress instantly. "Hey, sorry if I said something wrong."

"No, I asked you to tell me. Thank you, Makoto." She gave a meek smile.

"Look, we both have been stuck up in that hut for the past few days, right? So…why don't I take you for a run or something? I can show you Goshinboku and the well. How about it?"

Kita nodded vigorously. "Yes."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

InuYasha placed one of his clawed hands on Kagome's forehead, and the other on his own. "Yep. You ain't goin anywhere, wench. We're staying here until that fever breaks." He forced her to lie back down on the futon and covered her with his haori.

"InuYasha, what about Makoto? We said two weeks. If we're not there in a few days, he'll start to worry."

"The others are going to go on ahead. You are going to go back to sleep and not worry about anything. It's for your own good, as well as the pup's, Kagome. Sesshomaru is calling for a healer from the human village again. She'll be here any minute." InuYasha rubbed his hand down the side of Kagome's face, cupping her cheek and giving her a quick kiss. She sighed against his lips and crossed her arms in a pout. InuYasha cackled and rubbed his nose on her stomach.

Kagome frowned. "You're really worried, aren't you InuYasha?" He nuzzled deeper in response. "I know you didn't want me to have another pup because of the strain a hanyou pup puts on me, but Makoto's all grown up. I don't have a baby anymore."

"I want another pup, don't ever think I don't. But it's not worth losing you, Kagome. Just promise me you'll take it easy and not put to much strain on yourself." He pulled her into his arms and held on tight. "I never want to lose you. I need you."

"I promise."

There was a soft knock on the door, Sango opened it and peeked in. "Sorry guys, but the village healer is here. Should I tell her to wait?"

"No, send her on in. Thanks Sango." She looked at InuYasha. "I'll be alright. Go on. I'll send Sango when we're all finished here."

Reluctantly, the hanyou left just as a red-haired villager in her mid thirties entered the room followed by Sango. He gave the exterminator a glace that told her 'take care of Kagome', Sango nodding knowingly.

"Hi, I'm Nami." The woman tossed her flame-red hair over her shoulder and dropped her bag beside Kagome's futon, plopping herself down to her knees. "So I guess you're my patient, huh? I don't know all that much about hanyou births, but I'll do what I can." Kagome nodded and smiled politely. Nami was a little peppier than she and Sango were use to. "So what seems to be the problem today?"

"Just a little under the whether, that's all." Kagome replied.

"I think she overdid it a bit these past few days with the traveling and wedding; and this morning she woke with a bit of fever." Sango chipped in. Kagome nodded, approving of her explanation.

Nami sighed. "Well, let's take a look, shall we?" she pulled a few instruments from her bag and set to work; poking and prodding just as the last healer Kagome visited had done. Kagome jumped a bit when she pressed on a particularly tender spot on her abdomen. "Hurts?" Kagome nodded. Nami's eye brows furrowed as she pressed around the miko's abdomen a few times, finding the tender spots and other painful places around her stomach. "Has there been excessive movement lately with the baby?"

"Yea. It's moving a lot more than my first had. It hurts a lot more too; more force behind the kicks."

"What about the past few days, maybe just these past few hours? Have you had any cramps or stomach aches of any kind?"

"Um, yes. Yesterday morning I had a small stomach ache."

"Well, Kagome-sama, I have good news and bad news." Kagome grabbed Sango's hand and squeezed tight.

"Wha-what is it? What's wrong with my pup!"

"It's going to be fine. Your…pup… is a little overactive, which is probably common for a hanyou pregnancy, but your human body isn't constructed to put up with that kind of stress. Now, what you have is a simple cold and you shouldn't worry too much about it, but it is affecting you more than it normally would. So until your fever breaks and I say its okay, then you are to remain in bed. After a few days I'm sure you'll be well enough for the trip home, then its bed ridden for you until the birth. I've been told that you are a miko, and in that case I push that you do not use any of your energy until the pup is weaned at the very least. Don't use any of your energy in excess."

"She'll be alright though? Kagome and the pup?" Sango looked up worryingly.

Nami nodded with a goofy smile. "Kagome-sama, and **both** pups."

_Both pups… both pups…**both** pups…_Something about that phrase didn't sound quite right to Kagome. _Both…pups…_ She sat straight up and glared at the healer as she was putting her instruments back into her bag. "**BOTH PUPS?**" her eyes were wide.

"Why yes. **Both** pups. That's the good news. The most probable reason that this pregnancy is harder is because it's twice the strain as the first. I'll be back in two days and check over you again." She bowed as she stepped out the door. "Kagome-sama. Sango-sama. Good day."

For the next few minutes Kagome just stared out the window, idly rubbing and patting her belly. In six weeks she was going to have not one, but two newborn pups to tend to. Two pups. Her and InuYasha's pups. Two. Not just one. Two. Twice the work, twice the love, twice the pain, twice the worth. It was going to be a bigger risk for her. Way bigger, bigger than she thought even Nami had realized. She knew her body, she knew she could take a lot more pain than any women her age in her time could take, but she also knew after Makoto's birth some of her strength had left her permanently. Kagome had a feeling InuYasha knew also. He was almost attuned to her body as much as she was herself.

"Kagome, do you want me to get InuYasha?" Sango was still kneeling next to her. Kagome took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I'll be right back." As she left the room Kagome took another deep breath. Twins. She never thought that she and InuYasha would have twins. What would InuYasha think about it? Kagome didn't fear rejection from InuYasha anymore, that wasn't it, but the overprotective hanyou didn't let her go anywhere or do anything without him when she was only carrying **one** pup. What would he do now that she was having **two**?

There was a soft knock on the door as InuYasha entered. "Kagome?" he slid in and sat down next to her. "What did she say, Kagome? Is everything alright?"

"She…she said everything's fine. I have a cold, and being pregnant is making it a little worse so we have to stay here until she says it's okay for me to travel."

"What about the pup?"

"It's just a little overactive and stressing my body a little more than I'm use to."

"What did she say to do? I mean, is there anything I can do to help?"

"She just told me not to use my miko powers for awhile. I can't afford to lose my energy in excess. And that I should stay in bed until after the pups are born."

"Keh." InuYasha laid next to her. "I could have told you that wench." He nuzzled her neck.

"InuYasha?"

"Hum?"

"There's one more thing, about the pup."

InuYasha's ears perked and he bolted up. "What? It's alright isn't it? There's nothing wrong, right? What is it Kagome!"

"Well… we're not just having **a** pup anymore. We're having two." Kagome watched InuYasha's stoic face for any emotion at all. The hanyou just sat with his mouth gaped open and his golden eyes dilated in surprise. "InuYasha? InuYasha?" she shook his shoulders, he remained silent. "InuYasha?"

InuYasha shook his head and slowly come back to reality. "T-t-twins…as in two pups, at the same time!"

"That's usually how they come, InuYasha." Kagome knew she would never forget the look on InuYasha's face at that moment. His eyes seemed to melt like lava, glowing with heated love and compassion. His lips were curled in a crooked smile from ear to ear as they met her own.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that night, InuYasha woke to the sound of loud bangs in the hallway just outside the door of his room. Slowly and carefully he lifted Kagome's hand from his ears and untangled her legs from his. With a small smirk, he grabbed Tetsusaiga and quietly left the sleeping miko to see what the commotion was all about. Down the hall, the noises grew louder. InuYasha heard angry voices echo on the stone walls. Two inu were thrashing about in a full-out battle. The smaller inu, InuYasha recognized as Yukio. "Stay away from her!" he yelled at his older opponent. The other inu snarled.

"You _married_ a _human_! You have disgraced me, you've disgraced Otou-san, you've disgraced us all!"

"You disgrace yourself for thinking Rin is any less a being because she's human!" The older inu grabbed Yukio and pinned him to the wall by his throat. InuYasha decided it was time to step in, but someone else was also lingering in the shadows.

"That is enough, Taku. You have been banished from these lands. Go and return no more."

Taku growled at Sesshomaru's unwelcomed presence, but released his captive. Yukio gasped for air and slumped to the floor. InuYasha offered him a hand which Yukio took graciously. He turned into the room behind him to comfort a frightened Rin. Taku eyed Sesshomaru with great distaste.

"You… you're supposed to be a _great_ leader. You're the one who is supposed to keep his kind out of our line. But you allow it! You allow the half breed and his human to stay here, as welcomed guests! My father had the right idea, he…"

"This Sesshomaru is done with you. Leave."

InuYasha growled as the inu pushed past him and all but ran down the stone steps. He turned to Sesshomaru. "What's going on here, Sesshomaru?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"If it's putting Kagome in danger, it does concern me!"

Sesshomaru stared at his half-brother, apparently thinking of whether or not he should be told. "It is nothing this Sesshomaru cannot handle on his own. You and your mate will leave as soon as she is able." With that said, he turned and left the red-hot hanyou standing alone in the dark hallway.

"Keh."

**A/N:**

**Hm. I can't believe it. Someone actually guessed it in the reviews. Extra points to orangepencils for getting it right. Maybe I should start giving less hints, then?**

**To answer a question, the reason for the points? I use to do rewards, but I moved to points. And just like on "who's line is it Anyway" the points don't really matter, but they do seem to get more of a reaction from the reviewers. The more enthusiastic the reviews, the more I can write. SO KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING! Lol.**

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**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)Tsucasa**


	8. Problems

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. :Evil Smirk: But one day…

**Chapter 8: Problems**

Makoto laughed as Kita tightened her arms around his neck and squeezed herself as close to him as she could. He ran and leaped into the branches of trees, scurrying from one to another like a hyperactive squirrel. He flew through the air, finally coming out of the forest and into the flower covered meadow just outside of the village. The late afternoon sun was just reaching the treetops as his skidded to a stop in the tall grass on a hill overlooking the huts. A few humans were still scurrying about; the women bringing in the protesting children and the last of the wash on the lines, the men putting their tools away for the day and bringing in wood for the next morning's cooking fire.

Makoto was use to sights like this, but Kita was curious and a little on edge. He could tell by the slight change in her scent when she looked down at the village. Makoto set her down in the grass and joined her, leaning back with his arms folded behind his head, allowing the fading sunlight to caress his face. He and Kita had done everything he could think of, in just one day. After the dip in the fishing pond, he took her to Goshinboku and the Bone-eater's Well. They traded stories, what Kita had heard about his Okaa and Oyaji and Makoto would tell her the true story. It was amazing how much she knew, and Makoto wondered if the 'legend' of his parents would last forever, since they weren't even dead yet and already **had** a legend.

After that, Makoto figured Kita would like a dip in the hot springs, then on to InuYasha's forest for a quick walk down his secret paths, all the places he liked to stay when he wanted to be alone, a small clearing where he picked a few extra herbs to dry in the hut later for Kita's wounds, then a brisk run back to the village. Now he was going to show her the sunset over the village. It was always a beautiful sight. Even InuYasha had said it was amazing, as amazing as watching the sun go down could be to InuYasha, anyway. Kagome loved this spot. As a kid, Makoto remembered many nights, mostly on his human nights when he couldn't sleep, all four of them would just sit and watch the stars as they shone one by one through the darkening sky.

"Makoto…" Kita stated in awe, "it's…it's beautiful." She was looking over the village now, the yellow sun just visible in the horizon accompanied by the pinks, oranges, reds, and the blues darkening overhead. The first stars started to shine just above them, with the partial moon becoming brighter as the sun dimmed.

"Um hum. Beautiful." Makoto wasn't looking at the sky, though. He was watching the colors dance across Kita's facial features, her emerald eyes glowing in their awe and her ebony hair reflecting the sparking stars. Her smile, the first true smile that he had just seen for the first time, was more radiant that the full moon. Her wolf-ears were slightly larger than his dog ones, but nonetheless they only added to her beauty. Makoto found them especially cute when they twitched or flicked, listening to the sounds of the night. _Cute? What are you thinking! You don't like her! She's a wolf, and you know how they are. Are you really going to fall for another of Akina's kind?_ He took one more glance toward the wolf-hanyou. Her left ear flicked toward him. He sighed. _Yep. You are falling for anther one._

But what was he going to do about it? She was obviously determined to leave as soon as he let her go. Why did she want to leave so badly? Could he possibly change her mind? "Kita, when Okaa-san heals you, do you have to go? I mean, where will you go? What will you do?" Makoto saw her muscles tense with the question.

"I can't stay. I-I have things I've got to do Makoto." Kita dropped her head. It had been the best day of her life. For the first time she felt…normal. She wasn't hated. She wasn't despised or mistreated. She was…welcomed. She had fun. Makoto had shown her unforgettable sights, had given her hope for herself. But, she knew it would be impossible to stay like she wanted. There was still the spell to consider, and the fact that Makoto didn't know her like he thought. He didn't yet know who she really was and all the things she had done. If he did, he wouldn't want her to stay.

"Why can't you, Kita? What things do you have to do?" he was pleading for a truthful answer.

Kita unconsciously rubbed at her neck and sighed. "There are things you don't know about me, things you wouldn't understand. If you knew, you wouldn't want me to stay. I've got other things to do than to stay here…with you. I'm not free to make the choice."

"What do you mean by 'not free'? Kita, let me help you. If you're in trouble, tell me. Me, Okaa, Oyaji, Oba, Oji, Shippou; we'll do anything we can for you. Please, just tell me."

"I- I can't, Makoto! I can't tell you! Please, just let me forget about if for awhile. I just want to forget…"

Makoto shook his head and sighed. "You can trust me, you know." He grinned. "I won't bite…not too hard anyway." Kita giggled and leaned back in the grass. A low rumbling came from the inu's stomach. "We should get back to the hut. I'm starving."

"Okay, how about you catch and I cook tonight. I don't really like just sitting around while you do all the work."

"Sounds good to me. Getting a little tired of my cooking, aren't you?" he replied with a faults sense of disappointment in his voice.

"It's just…different...from the way I'm use to, that's all."

Back in the hut, Kita fiddled with the fire and put the pot of water over the flames. She took the meat from the birds Makoto had brought back and sliced them into the water, adding herbs and spices that she had found in the hut to her preference. She put another pot on the other side of the fire and filled it with water and rice. Makoto hovered over her shoulder, sniffing and watching as she placed one last ingredient in and covered the pot with its lid. "It'll be a few minutes." She said.

"Where are you from, anyway? I've never seen anyone cook like that."

"Osaka."

Makoto's ears perked and he turned his full attention to the she-wolf. "Osaka? That's over 200 kilometers away. What made you travel so far?"

"The wolves…in my pack," Makoto could see a twinge of fear flash across her face, "they…didn't like the idea of a hanyou in their pack,…so I left. Heh. They all liked their food raw. I couldn't stand that, so whenever I could I just cooked for myself."

"Must be our human blood. Oyaji and I prefer cooked food, but Akina and the wolves don't. Shippou likes cooked food, but that's just because Okaa-san spoiled him as a kit."

"Wolves? Th-there's a pack near here?"

"Yea, their harmless though, for the most part." Makoto desperately wanted to change the subject, so he turned his attention back to the boiling pot. "Hey, is it done yet?"

Kita lifted the lid and took a quick sniff and tasted the contents. Satisfied, she nodded and fixed two bowls of rice, pouring the meat and broth on top. She looked to Makoto expectantly as he took a good sized bite. Without a word he woofed down the rest of the bowl and helped himself for more. Kita smiled and took to her own bowl with a little less enthusiasm than the inu.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Shippou, I'm tired! Can't we just stop here for awhile?" Tani's short hair bounced around as Shippou carried her through the forest. She held a sour look on her face from all the traveling they had done in just a few long days. Kagome had made Shippou and the others promise to get back to the village as soon as possible, and with her more than stubborn okaa's-boy mate he had gathered her up and took off before she could even get a bite to eat before they left.

"Yea, Outou-san, can we please stop? I'm tired." Yumi called from her mother's lap on top of Kirara.

"Come on you two, it's only just up ahead. Not like you're doing any of the walking anyway, Tani."

"Shippou, so help me when we get back…" Shippou loosened his grip, causing the girl to slip a little on his back. She was about to rebuke when they finally reached the familiar path to InuYasha and Kagome's hut. Tani let out a relieved sigh. A few more minutes and she would be back in the village, in her own hut, sleeping in her own bed; after a quick dip in the river of course. She knew Sango probably had the same idea. "Home, home, home!" she chanted in a sing-song voice.

"Not yet, woman. Have a little patience. We've still got to find Makoto."

Tani pouted. "Can't you tell him tomorrow?"

"It won't take long Tani. We go in, we talk, we leave. You coming or not Miroku? Sango?"

"Eh, I think we should retire back to our own hut, Shippou. Yumi seems to be just on the verge of sleeping, and it doesn't take all of us to talk to one hanyou." Shippou snarled and mumbled under his breath. Miroku cocked an eyebrow at the youkai. "Surly you can see my reasoning, Shippou. After all, the children do come first."

"Yea right! You just use them as an excuse. Go on and go home. Me and Tani will tell Makoto."

"Thank you, Shippou." Sango replied.

"Whatever." The groups turned their separate ways; Miroku, Sango, and the girls back to the village and Shippou and Tani cut of to the second path that led to his parents' hut. The sky was almost completely black, only a very fine sliver of moon shown through. One of Kagome's concerns was that Makoto would be by himself during the new moon, and he knew she would still be worrying over Makoto, even if he was here with him. That's just how Kagome had always been, even when she was hurt she was worried about the others first. Tani's breathing became shallow; her chest slowing it's breaths as she silently fell asleep against Shippou's back.

A few minutes later, they were in sight of the hut. It was completely dark inside, no fire going in the pit as it usually was, especially after dark. He slid open the front door and peered inside. It was quiet. It looked as if no one had been in there the whole day. Shippou shifted Tani's weight to one side and scooped her into his arms, making his way to InuYasha and Kagome's room and placed her on the bed. He brushed a thin layer of hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear, giving a quick nuzzle to her neck and closing the door once more. The first thing he did after that was check Makoto's room to make sure he really wasn't there. Except for his futon and a few other items the room was empty.

Shippou sniffed. His senses could pick up on Makoto and the wolf-youkai, so she was still staying here. The smell was weak, at least since the morning hours. _That baka pup. Where did he run off to now? And with that she-wolf as well._ Shippou pondered as he started a fire in the pit. He'd just have to stay in the hut until Makoto returned, whenever that would be.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Makoto! Get back here!" Kita hobbled toward Goshinboku and circled it, looking up in the branches. "Makoto! Where did you go, you baka!" She had been with Makoto for six days and the two hanyou had gotten to be close friends. Makoto left early that morning to hunt and had yet to return. Kita had gotten up and set out to look for him, going to the places she knew he liked to stay at times. Giving up, she slumped against the trunk of Goshinboku and crossed her arms, sighing as the breeze blew past her. She flicked her ears, listening to the sounds of the wind in the trees, the early morning birds singing their songs, some small animals scurrying through the underbrush. Her eyes slowly drifted closed.

"Looking for me?" Kita jumped to her feet at the inu's voice, causing her to land unbalanced on her already injured ankle and stumble back, only to be caught in Makoto's strong arms. The two fell backward to the ground. Makoto cackled at the still shocked looking face on the girl.

"You baka! What are you trying to do?"

"Awe, come on Kita. Can't I have a little fun?" She pulled on a length of his hair in response. "Oww, hey wench, that hurts!"

"Serves you right." She fidgeted until she was out of Makoto's grasp. "Where did you go anyway?"

"Just down the path. Okaa-san and the others should be getting back today. Shouldn't be too long." He turned to face her better. "You still going to leave?"

"Yea. I've got somewhere to be, you know that." _Not that I ever want to leave here, to leave you. But, if I don't… _She brought up her hand to rub her neck._ If I don't…he'll kill me. His Okaa-san's a miko, maybe she'll be able to help. Maybe she can remove the spell._ Makoto nodded sadly. Kita almost giggled at the pathetic look he had across his face which couldn't be described in any other way than a childish-pout. His bottom lip was slightly protruding, golden eyes glimmering and begging her to stay. Kita almost couldn't resist; she almost told him she would stay.

"Alright, so the agenda for today is: hunting, eat, swimming, eat, then I have to help out in the village and you need to rest, a run through the forest, bath in the hot springs, eat, then the sunset over the hilltop before going back to the hut for the night." Kita nodded in agreement.

"Sounds perfect."

At the end of the day, Makoto and Kita were sitting once again on the hilltop overlooking the village as the sun started to fade into the night. Kita's head was propped on his knees as he slumped against the tree. "Look over there! It's a rabbit. See it?" she pointed to a group of stars.

Makoto stared up into the night sky. "Nope, but I see a turtle. See, its head's right there. Or maybe its just a rock. Can't really tell from here."

"Mmm." Was Kita's only reply. She allowed her eyes to drift shut and snuggled into the leg of Makoto's hamaka. Soon she felt a hand rubbing through her hair and curve under her shoulders as the other snaked its way under her knees and she was lifted off the ground. She sighed, loving the warmth of being held so close to the inu. "Where we going?"

"Back home. Okaa-san's suppose to be there by now. I'm surprised Oyaji hasn't been out looking for us yet."

"Maybe they decided to stay a bit longer."

"Keh. I doubt it. If Oyaji and Oto stay under the same sky for too long they have a fit. I can just imagine how they're doing under the same roof together, especially with the pup on the way."

"She's pregnant?"

"Yep. Over three and a half months now. Five more weeks and I'm gonna be the big brother." Makoto smiled pridefully. As they approached the hut he saw a fire already burning inside. "Looks like they're here." He dropped Kita to her feet, still bracing her side. They walked in together.

"Makoto, it's about time! Where have you been for the past hour and a half?" Shippou was the only person visible. Makoto sniffed, realizing Kagome and InuYasha weren't there. Only Shippou and Tani.

"Where's Okaa? Did something happen? Is the pup alright?" he bombarded his brother with questions.

"Slow down, pup. She's fine, just a little cold. She worked herself a bit too hard as well, but she'll be alight. A healer came and said she could probably travel in a couple of days, so they'll be here later. And Okaa's having twins, so that's making Oyaji even more irritable to be around, so having a few more days without them will be a blessing, trust me." Shippou yawned.

"Hold on. Did you just say twins?"

"Funny, but I think that's the same phrase Oyaji used when Okaa told him. Except his jaw dropped a bit further than yours, and he didn't drool." Makoto wiped his sleeve across his mouth and punched Shippou's shoulder. He cackled and turned his eyes to Kita, who was looking at the floor on the other end of the hut. "So, this is the wolf-hanyou?"

"Shippou, this is Kita. Kita, this is my brother Shippou." She bowed but didn't advert her eyes.

Shippou took a quick look over her, taking in her injuries by their scent, also getting a whiff of something else. He glared at Makoto and grabbed his arm at the elbow. "Can I speak with you for a moment, _outside_?" Makoto nodded and followed the kitsune outside. "We'll be right back." Shippou stated before shoving the hanyou out the door.

"What's your problem?" Makoto yelled when they were out of Kita's earshot.

"Are you really that thick?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"That wolf has your scent all over her! Okaa and Oyaji were right not wanting you to go alone with her. What are you thinking Makoto? Akina wasn't enough for you? Had to go after another of her kind or have you just not learned your lesson yet?"

"Why do you always have to bring up _her_? Akina has nothing to do with me anymore, and she defiantly doesn't have anything to do with Kita so just shut up about it!"

"She a wolf Makoto. They're all sly and tricky. It's in their nature to only be loyal to their own pack, something you'll never be a part of and she'll never betray."

"Keh, shows you what you know. You don't know anything about her!"

"My point is, neither do you!" Shippou raised his hand to the side of his head and sighed. "Look, Makoto, I'm just trying to watch out for you. I know how you can be sometimes, and I just want to warn you not to rush into things like before. That's another part of Oyaji he could have left out of you, pup."

"I'm not a freakin pup anymore! I can make my own decisions! **I** decide where I go, **I** decide how long I'm gone, and **I **decide who I'll be with!"

"Makoto, don'.."

"We're finished, Shippou. That's it." With that, Makoto turned and left his stunned older brother to his own thoughts. _Who does he think he is? Keh! That baka! They'll never let me forget about **her.** All they'll ever do is show me that 'told you so' attitude. Akina was a mistake, and a big one at that, but Kita is different somehow. Keh. Not like it matters anyway. In a few days,…she'll be gone, too._ Slowly Makoto's anger faded to sorrow. He really did feel dumb. How is it that he always fell for the wrong person?

**A/N:**

**Oo;**

**Shippou's been hanging around with InuYasha too long…**

**Poor Makoto. Will Kita tell him the truth? Hm…**

**And as always…**

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)tsucasa**


	9. Knowing the Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 9: Knowing the Truth**

Makoto huffed and slammed the sliding door to his room shut, completely ignoring the wolf-hanyou in the main room that perked her ears as he entered. He was angry, frustrated, hurt. Not necessarily at Shippou, but at his complete dumb luck, but then again Shippou had made it worse. A lot worse. Or maybe he just raised the questions Makoto himself was to afraid to ask himself. Was he just looking for someone to cover the hurt that Akina had caused? He knew Kita wasn't loyal to her pack like Shippou had said, her pack had turned their backs on her. But would Kita be loyal to him? A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and Kita silently stepped in.

"Your brother looked angry. It's because of me, isn't it? He doesn't want me here."

"No, Kita, it's not you. He just doesn't understand yet. He doesn't see…" Makoto sighed. "He just doesn't see things the way I see them, that's all."

She nodded. "Um, Shippou's mate fell asleep in the other room, and I think he's going to stay here tonight."

"Keh. Let him do what he wants. He's going to do it anyway." He thought… "Oh. Uh…You can stay in here tonight. I'll just sleep outside."

Kita shook her head. "I'll go with you."

Makoto smiled back. "If that's what you want." Kita followed him out, under the great tree Goshinboku. Makoto couldn't sleep, not right away. Kita snuggled up beside him and let out a content sigh as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Everything felt so…right, when he was around her. Everything fell into place, like they had known each other forever. And now she still said she was leaving. Makoto knew it had to be something more than what she was letting on. Having to 'be somewhere else' just didn't seem like too good of a reason to want to run away with the injuries she had. It didn't seem like a good reason to risk her life over.

"What you thinking about?" Kita broke his concentration.

"Hm?"

"Just looked like you were thinking about something important."

"Kita, tell me the truth, why do you want to leave? Do you have someone else waiting on you?"

"Makoto, I already tol.."

"I know what you _told_ me, but that's not enough. Why can't you…just…stay here?"

Kita snuggled further into Makoto's haori and allowed thoughts to go through her mind. She could tell him, it wouldn't hurt, as long as she left out the parts about the miko and the Lord of the western lands. What about the other things she had done? Maybe he would understand, maybe he would know she wasn't responsible for everything, maybe he would know a way to help her…

"Kita, please. I want to know." He wrapped his arm even further around her shoulders, pulling her into a loose embrace.

Kita let out a deep breath. "When I first came here, about two years ago, I ran into a youkai. At first I just thought he wanted to fight, most of them do. But, during the fight, I felt him place something around my…my neck." She rubbed her neck, feeling the small thread. "It was a hair, one of his hairs. After that he…he had control over me somehow. He gave me tasks to do, hor-horrible things, and I had to do them. The hair, it has a spell. Every time I refuse to do what he says, he uses the spell against me. It hurts too much. And…when even that didn't work, when I completely refuse, he takes complete control of me. It only lasts a little while, and he has to be close by to retain a stronger connection to the spell, but he could force me to…to…" she could go any further. At that point, simple tears just were not enough. It was the moment of truth for her, the moment she had told someone her secret, and now all she could do was wait. Moments of silence passed, and she cursed to herself for saying as much as she did.

"Oh, Kita…I…" He lowered his head and nuzzled into Kita's hair. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you. I promise, I'll protect you, I won't let that youkai take you away from me."

Kita froze. He was…_nuzzling_…her? _Holding_ her? Promising to _protect_ her? Didn't he understand the things she had done! "But, Makoto, I…some of the things I've done, they're unforgivable. I've…**killed**! Makoto, I've killed innocent people because of him, I've done things that's so horrible…"

"And none of that matters, because it's not your fault. **He** is the one to blame, not you. You said yourself that he's the one forcing you to do those things. That youkai is never going to hurt you again."

"Their…their blood is on **my **hands, not his! I..I did it."

"If he was controlling you, then it was him. Don't blame what he did on yourself!"

"He's after the miko, your Okaa-san! He wanted me to find her, and when I couldn't he tried to make me kidnap the inu boy, the son of the Lord of the Western Lands. That's when you found me! I couldn't do it, I couldn't… and then they were all around me. Inu-youkai, and I ran until I couldn't hear them anymore, but I…I…"

"You were hurt." She nodded. Makoto gulped and sighed out loud. "Do you know what he wants with Okaa and Keiji? He didn't say anything about it?"

"No. He just told me what he wanted. M-my Mas-, **he**, had some kind of grudge on the Lord. I att-, he made me attack the human village near the castle and kill some of the humans that worked for or were just too friendly with the inu from the castle. I think he was going to use the boy against his father."

"Thank you, for telling me everything." He nuzzled deeper into her hair, rubbing his nose against the side of one of her ears. So a youkai was hunting his Okaa. Not just his Okaa, he seemed to have a grudge against Sesshomaru too, or maybe just his entire family. Oyaji wouldn't stand for it, that Makoto was sure of. As soon as they got back, he'd tell InuYasha everything.

"Makoto?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you, for everything."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Come on InuYasha!"

"I said no!"

"I SAID YES!"

"Wench!"

"Baka!"

"Kagome…"

"InuYasha…"

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"SIT!" :THUMP:

"What was that for Kagome!"

"For yelling at me, BAKA!"

"You yelled at me first!"

"I wouldn't have had to yell if you would have listened to me!"

"We're not going and that's final. _I'm_ the male and _I_ get to say what we do and what we **don't** do."

"I'm the grouchy, irritated, sick, pregnant human wench with a submission spell around your neck so unless you want to find out first hand just how deep you have to dig to get to the center of the earth you'll just listen to me for once!" InuYasha stopped his sulking and sat cross legged across from Kagome. They had left Sesshomaru's castle just a couple of days ago, and were almost back home, but Kagome wanted to make one stop first.

"Alright. I'm listening, so go ahead."

"I just think we should go by Kouga's and…"

"Okay, done listening. No."

"Sit." :THUMP: "We should go by Kouga's and get his help with the hanyou-girl. Obviously she doesn't have anywhere else to go, and I'm sure Kouga would take her in if I asked him to. Watching him all the time I know how important the pack is to a wolf-youkai and…"

"Oi! When were you _watching_ him!"

"Sit." :THUMP: "and I think she should be with a pack, if not her own, then Kouga's. Ayame and the others will not mind having the girl around. They put up with you enough to be use to hanyous by now."

"Keh."

"We're going then?"

"Keh."

"InuYasha…"

"Fine. But you better not 'sit' me if I use Tetsusaiga to carve him a new opening. This is a fair warning, Kagome. If he, or that little wench pup of his starts anything I plan on finishing it." Kagome just shook her head as InuYasha cradled her in his arms and took off east to Kouga's den. It wasn't really that far out of their way, not even an hour away, but as always that was the last place InuYasha wanted to be. He knew Kagome was right. The girl would be better off with the pack, and if Kagome asked, Kouga would take care of her and make sure she's not bothered.

The whole problem was, Kagome needed to rest. She needed to get home as soon as she could, and her worrying about the girl all the time instead of herself scared InuYasha. She had a bad habit of doing everything for everyone else and not thinking of what would happen to her. That's what made him love her in the first place. Another problem was that he was still frustrated with Sesshomaru. Something was going on in the castle, something big, and he didn't tell InuYasha a thing about it. That made the little bit a patience he had for Kouga fly out the window.

"InuYasha? Kagome!" Ayame ran out to greet her friends, hugging Kagome tighter than InuYasha was comfortable with. He growled low.

"Don't mind him." Kagome nudged him. "It's good to see you, Ayame."

"It's good to see you too, Kagome. Kouga should be back any minute. Would you like to come in and wait?" she nodded and InuYasha followed the two inside the den. The others were out, hunting or doing whatever the stupid wolves did all day, and for that InuYasha was glad and relaxed a bit. The last thing he needed was a den full of mangy wolves crowding around his pregnant mate. "How's Makoto? I haven't seen him since…"

"He's alright. And Akina?"

"She's fine now. Kigai and Kouga have been keeping a pretty strict watch on her, and she won't be doing anything like that anymore. So what brings you around here?"

"Well, a few days ago we ran across a young girl. A wolf-hanyou, and she was pretty hurt. Makoto took her back to the village, and we're on our way back now. I'm sure Makoto took good care of her, and since she's hanyou she's probably already healed quite well, and I just though maybe you could take her into your pack."

Ayame thought for a few minutes. "It wouldn't be that simple, Kagome. I can't make that kind of decision, Kouga has to, and not just any wolf is allowed in the pack. It's…

complicated. She belongs to another pack, a rival pack either way about it, and we don't know if she'll be loyal to us."

"Could you and Kouga come back with us?"

"That's just what I was going to suggest. We can leave as soon as Kouga and Kigai get back."

"Keh! Kagome, can I speak with you a moment!" InuYasha didn't wait for an answer, pulling her away and out of the den. "They are NOT coming back with us."

"InuYasha, please, don't start this again. They're going to come, take the girl back with them, and that will be that. No harm done."

"I don't want that mangy wolf anywhere near you right now, or ever for that matter, and you know why. Don't argue with me on this."

"Less than one day, then I promise to do whatever you say. I'll stay in bed all day like a good little wench." She gave her mate the sweetest smile she could muster and rubbed against his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Fine. One day, and that's it. He goes, and the girl goes. None of that 'stay the night, leave in the morning' crap either."

"Kagome!" Kouga appeared out of no where, ignoring the growl already escaping the hanyou's throat, and grabbed the miko by the hand. "Long time no see. How's mutt face treating you?"

"Great…Kouga…" she replied, prying her hand loose from his grasp. InuYasha walked around the wolf-youkai and pulled Kagome to his side.

"So, what brings you around? Decided to get rid of the mutt after all?" Kouga smirked.

Kagome elbowed the raging hanyou beside her. "No, Kouga. InuYasha and I are fine. We were going to Sesshomaru's for Rin's wedding, and ran into a wolf-hanyou. She was badly injured, and Makoto took her back home. We're on our way there, and we were wondering if you and Ayame could come and…"

"and see if she could join our pack, right?" Kagome nodded. "Well…in any other case I would defiantly say no without hesitation, but since it is _you_ who asked, and other than mutt face you are a pretty good judge of character, I guess we could at least go see her. I don't see the harm in it, though I'm not making any promises. Adding an outsider to my pack is risky, for all of us."

"What? The mangy wolf can't keep one hanyou pup under control?" InuYasha smirked, pulling his mate even further away from Kouga.

She eased herself out of his grasp. "Sit." :THUMP:

Kouga pointed down at the hanyou, sprawled out on the ground, and laughed. "You never learn do you, mutt!" :WHAM: He joined InuYasha in the dirt.

"Neither do you." Ayame added. The women looked at each other and laughed, their mates glaring angrily at each other from the dirt.

"Mangy wolf."

"Wimpy mutt."

**A/N:**

**XD**

**Anyway, to answer a question, no I don't have a set time on posting my chapters. It's just whenever I finish the chapter and whenever I have the time to post it, though I do try to have it out as soon as possible.**

**As always, for points go to:**

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)tsucasa**


	10. The Spell

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 10: The Spell**

"I don't know, Makoto. I don't remember very much from back then, and I certainly don't remember any youkai that was after Okaa-san or Sesshomaru that Oyaji didn't…dispose…of. Of course, we did have a lot of enemies back then. It's possible that there's still a few out there." Shippou, Makoto, and Kita were sitting in the hut. Kita gazed into the fire as Makoto told his brother everything she had said the night before. Shippou listened intently, obviously more willing after his argument with Makoto.

"What about the spell? Can't Okaa take it off or something?"

Shippou sighed. "The healer said she can't use her powers until after the pups are born. Using that much energy could hurt her and the pups. We'll just have to wait and see if she has any other ideas. How much longer do you have, Kita?"

"Two, maybe three days." Makoto scooted closer to Kita and casually put his hand against her back to comfort her. "I have to be in the clearing. That's all I know."

"Alright. Don't worry about it. They should be getting here sometime today or tomorrow morning. In the mean time, I don't want you going too far from either me or Makoto, though I don't see much of a chance of that." He glared playfully at his brother, who was intent on not meeting his gaze. "And if that spell kicks in again, tell one of us before even thinking about doing something drastic." Kita nodded.

Makoto stood to his feet, taking the girl with him in one swift motion. "And right now, I want you to meet the rest of the gang."

Kita couldn't resist his smiling eyes, looking so innocent and hopeful. He grabbed her hand before she had the chance to reply, and they were off toward the human village. Shippou followed on the other side of Makoto, the two talking back and forth about the wedding. Kita was content just listening. She felt a little jealous of Makoto, having such a wonderful family, a wonderful life, all as a hanyou. The meek smile across her face quickly faded as they reached the hill top that overlooked the human village. Makoto sensed her distress and stopped. Shippou gave a knowing nod and headed down on his own.

"I-I can't go down there." She stuttered.

"Sure you can. All the humans here are use to having us in and out of the village. We protect them, and for the most part they accept us. Shippou even lives _in_ the village, and no one bothers him or Tani. It's different here. You'll see." He smiled reassuringly, and nudged her with his shoulder. She sighed and gripped his hand tighter as she was led down onto the worn paths of the village. Being nearly midday already, the men were coming in from the fields for lunch, along with the children going in from their play.

They stopped in front of a rather large hut, right in front of the shrine grounds. Shippou was just walking up with his human mate at his side. Kita gulped as she saw the pair disappear into the building and Makoto once again nudged her on. The first thing she noticed as she entered was the loudness and business of everyone around her. Two human girls were running around her legs laughing, Shippou had found his way over to a black-haired middle-aged man and a younger man with blue eyes and a bulkier build, striking up a conversation with the two; Tani had sat down next to another woman who could only have been the middle-aged man's daughter, as they looked strikingly alike, and another middle-aged woman who had to be his wife. The three were vigorously cooking over an open fire, another little girl watching intently.

Kita couldn't help herself from flattening her ears and recoiling behind Makoto's back. She felt overwhelmed by being such close vicinity with the humans, and so many of them at that. Makoto noticed her discomfort and held her closer to his side.

"Hey, who is she?" Little Yumi had her hands on her hips; head cocked to one side, and was staring up to the hanyou. The whole room became quiet as the humans seemed to notice Kita for the first time.

"Guys, this is Kita. She's staying here for awhile." Makoto grinned. There was a moment of awkward silence, just before the dam broke. All of a sudden, Kita found herself surrounded by curious humans, receiving hands on her shoulder and pats on her back, flooded with names: Miroku, Mai, Yumi, Hana, Sango, Cho, Kisho… all wanting to know different things; where she was from, why she was there, how she had gotten there, the younger girl asking why she had ears like Makoto and for some odd reason wanted to touch them. After things had settled down a bit the man she now knew as Miroku offered her a bowl of food in which she graciously accepted, after a few quick sniffs, of course.

The humans, she found, were not as bad as she thought. None of them gave her a second thought as to if they should allow her to stay. She was welcomed. More so by the human pups than anyone else. Yumi had taken a particular liking to the she-wolf, obliging herself to sit on the side opposite of Makoto all during their meal. The pups' mother completely trusted them around the hanyou, not even glancing over to make sure her daughters were alright with the stranger. It gave Kita a new sense of security. Her meek smile soon grew into a full blown grin, her dull eyes brightening greatly.

Makoto felt a new sense of pride in himself. He had felt bad before, him being so blessed with his family yet brooding over Akina like his live was over, and Kita never having a loving family, never having the chance to grow up unafraid because you always knew someone would come if you got yourself into trouble, never bickering with a brother or sister over petty things just because you're bored, never living a life that she should have had all along. Makoto could only give her a small taste of what her life could have been, what it could still be, but that bit was making her smile like he had never seen before. And_ that_ was worth everything in the world to him.

Afterward, when the younger kids were sent out to play, the world came crashing back down as Shippou, Tani, Makoto, Kita, Miroku, Sango, Mai, and Kisho sat in the hut discussing the wolf-hanyou and what had to be done.

"It is most unfortunate that you have come at this time, Kita. Kagome cannot use her miko energy to rid you of the spell in her condition, but there are other ways of breaking a spell. She is more knowledgeable on submission spells than I." Miroku stated with a bit of sarcasm at the end. Shippou and Makoto flinched; having grown up with the threat of their own submission spells being cast.

"It has to be a strong submission spell to actually be able to control someone with it." Sango replied, looking down and very tired already.

"He's only in control a short time, just enough to…do…what he wanted done. After that it's my choice how to escape or…finish…" she let the last bit hang. There was no way she was going to get more than that out.

Miroku seemed to be in thought, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes unfocused. "Hm." He finally replied after a few moments had ticked by. "Kita, what kind of youkai is your master?"

"Inu. He's an inu."

Miroku nodded intently, all eyes on him at this point. "Inu and wolves are closely related, especially in instincts." Makoto flinched. "And an inu is the one that cast the spell, correct?"

"Yes."

"So, he's not only using a submission spell on you, but he's also playing your own instincts against you as well. The simple spell cannot cause one to be controlled by another being, but using the females natural sense to be submissive to the leading male combined with that of the actual submission spell may cause the desired effect, thus allowing the inu to temporarily control your very actions."

"So if she can control her instincts, she might be able to fight him?" Makoto perked up.

"Well, yes and no. He shouldn't be able to gain control of her, but the pain from the spell would still work against her. In order to completely rid her of his control, the spell will have to be depleted."

"And Okaa-san can't use her powers to get rid of it, so where does that leave us!" Makoto was just about to lose his patience.

"I was just getting to that." Miroku mumbled something under his breath about hotheaded inus, not going unnoticed by Makoto who just gave his father's signature 'keh' in response. "Now, when Kagome and InuYasha return, she can give me instructions on removing the spell. Though I don't have nearly as much spiritual powers as she, I believe it is possible for me to remove the spell."

Makoto turned to Kita to see her on the brink of tears. "Kita?" She shook her head and buried her face on his sleeve. "Wha…" What was he suppose to do? The girl was **crying** all over him. He looked to Miroku and Shippou, both who had seemed to find something else in the hut of more interesting than the pair. The females looked at him expectantly. Sighing and figuring he was on his own; he carefully reached down and hooked her chin with his finger, lifting her eyes to meet his. What he saw wasn't something he was expecting. Her brilliant green eyes blazed, a smile elegantly brightening the look on her face. He gave her a confused look.

"Do you think he can do it? Do you really believe he can remove my spell?"

"Oji can do a lot of things. I wouldn't doubt it for a second." Makoto smiled. Kita launched herself into the hanyou's chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. Makoto, hesitant at first, wrapped his own arms around her waist. He had to admit, though he felt like he was taking advantage of the situation, it felt good.

Miroku glanced over to Shippou with a questioning look, motioning over to the cuddling couple. Shippou in turn rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't like the fact that Makoto hadn't heeded his warning of the she-wolf. Miroku seemed a bit shocked by the sudden affection, but indifferent to the situation at hand. The girls, on the other hand, were sitting and watching with that googlie look in their eyes. Sango leaned her head against Miroku, Mai doing the same wish Kisho. Tani entwined her fingers with Shippou's. What was with women and romance anyway?

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"Makoto! Shippou! Where are you two!"

"Quit yelling InuYasha. If they were here they would have answered by now. I'm sure they didn't go far." Kagome waddled over to her bed and sat down, pressing the palm of her hand against her lower back. Twice the pup, twice the weight, twice the strain on her body. Yep, it was going to be a long four weeks yet to come. "Just go get them. They're probably just at Sango and Miroku's."

InuYasha turned toward the entrance and growled. "And leave you here with that mangy wolf? I think not, Kagome. And before you even suggest it, no, you're not going to go either. The healer said say in bed and that's what you are going to do. You promised, after all. Remember?" Kagome huffed and crossed her arms. She did promise. What in the world was she thinking at the time she promised that!

"Then I guess we'll just wait here. It'll be getting dark out soon, and a new moon night too." She laid back and propped her head on her pillow. InuYasha smirked and took his place by her side, idly caressing her stomach with one clawed hand. "That's the real reason you didn't want Kouga to come, isn't it?" He let out a soft growl as he nuzzled Kagome's belly once more before turning his attention fully on his mate.

She giggled as his lips pressed down on her neck, leaving a trail of kissed from her nape, to along side her jawbone, and finally coming to rest on her own lips. Kagome tugged on his two dangling locks of hair to pull him in closer. "Who cares about that stupid wolf?" he mumbled against her.

"Hey dog-breath! I can hear you, ya know!"

InuYasha pulled away growling. "After I rip your ears off you won't!"

Kagome was blushing, having completely forgotten about the wolf-youkai's acute senses. She let out a heavy sigh. "I'm hungry." InuYasha's ears drooped, that lovely moment completely ruined by Kouga's presence.

"What do you want?" he whined.

"Umm… pizza? Hamburger? Oh! Ice-cream… or peanut butter! Mmmm…"

"Something that exists in this time, Kagome."

"Hm. Surprise me then."

He took a moment to glare at Kouga and Ayame cuddled up in one corner of his hut before giving his 'keh' and walking out. As soon as InuYasha stepped out into the fading light he could hear voices coming from up the path. One male, Makoto. The other was female, unfamiliar, had to be the wolf-hanyou. They both seemed to be laughing. InuYasha put off his fishing trip in favor of his curiosity. The two came walking up, the girl swinging around in front of Makoto and grabbing both his hands. He smiled back before twisting her around and wrapping her in his arms. When they turned and saw InuYasha, both smiles faded and they nearly tripped trying to but distance between each other.

"Oyaji."

InuYasha nodded toward the girl. "That's her?"

"Yea. Th-this is Kita." Makoto gave the girl a shove forward. She kept her eyes lowered to the ground as InuYasha circled her.

"You did a good job at patching her up." He replied after a few minutes had passed. "Have either of you eaten dinner yet?" they shook their heads. "Keh. That means you get to help me with the fish."

Fish caught and cleaned, it was taken inside to be cooked. A few feet from the door Kita stopped and stared with wide eyes as the sun started to set. Makoto could sense her fear spike as the last of the light finally faded. The change started happening quickly. His hanyou ears were the first to go, being sucked into his head as human ears popped up on the side of his face. His eyes changed from their normal golden state, to a deep brown while his fangs and claws receded. His silver and black-streaked hair turned black with silver streaks. Transformation over, he sighed and his shoulders slumped.

His human ears picked up on a small cry beside him. His human eyes couldn't see that well in the dark, but he could see a now human Kita sitting on the ground with her head tucked between her knees. "Kita?" she slowly lifted her head and glanced up at Makoto. Her eyes were still green, still able to pierce though his heart with that one glance. Her ears were now human, too, and her hair still black. Her facial features had changed a bit as well. There was no wildness about her, not like in her hanyou form. This Kita was completely tame, and that he didn't like.

"Oi, Makoto! Get in here, we ain't waitin all night!" InuYasha's voice rang though the night. Makoto reached down, grabbing Kita by the hand and lifting her to her feet.

"I hate human nights too." He stated, not knowing what else there was to be said. That seemed to do the trick though, as Kita gave the brightest smile she could muster. "Come on before Oyaji gets really mad.

**A/N:**

**Action is coming up soon, and a bit more fluff. :winks:**

**And sometime during the next few chapters, you get your first glimpse of the evil youkai. **

**And I'm really, really sorry for getting this out so late. Things still haven't quite settled down around here yet. I'll be glad when all this with FEMA is finally done and over with.**

**As always, for points go to: (and sorry for not getting them up last chapter. Oo; I must be slipping….)**

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)tsucasa**

**Trivia time!**

"**Umm… pizza? Hamburger? Oh! Ice-cream… or peanut** **butter! Mmmm…" – Kagome**

**Okay, Kagome wasn't the first pregnant lady to have a bad craving for peanut butter, so here's the question: Season one of this show featured a pregnant woman with a craving for peanut butter. Name that show. It's worth 5pts if you answer correctly, so go and review!**


	11. The Threat

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 11: The Threat**

Kita stopped in her tracks; Makoto's hand still in hers caused him to turn. Fear was once again plastered on her face. What her eyes were gazing upon was worse than even her Master. Wolf-youkai. Two of them, one male and one female, sitting side by side next to a roaring fire. The reds and oranges of the fire gave them an even more demonic appearance. As she entered they turned to stare at her. She stepped behind Makoto and grabbed at the back of his haori.

"Kita, wha…"

"Why are they here!" she yelled in a voice cracked with fear. "Please…Makoto…"

It was then when he noticed Ayame and Kouga. He growled with as much force as he could in his human form, pushing Kita back and pinning her between himself and the wall. "Oyaji?" he questioned in a husky voice.

"They're here to see about the girl."

Kita scrunched against his back and shivered. "Get them out, now. They are not going to touch her." Makoto's voice was slow, and had a warning tone.

InuYasha smirked. "Fine with me."

"InuYasha…" Kagome smacked the back of his head. She moved toward her son and the wolf-hanyou. For a few seconds she was unsure of what Makoto would do, but as she got closer he eased up. "What's her name?"

"…Kita."

"Kita, I'm Kagome." She pointed to the wolf-youkai. "That is Kouga and Ayame. They're friends of ours. They will not hurt you." The girl didn't move, Kagome sighed.

"Maybe Kouga and I should leave." Ayame stated. Kouga pulled her to her feet, silently agreeing. Kagome whispered to Ayame that she would get back to her as soon as things settled down. As they took their leave, Makoto rounded the hut keeping Kita out of their sight. When he felt the threat was gone, he turned and wrapped his arms around the poor girl who fell silently to her knees. Being in her hanyou form and running into the wolves would have been bad enough, but being human? Human emotions flooded her, mostly that of fear, and there was no way she could control them. Much like InuYasha as he always became more sensitive on his human nights.

"Its okay, Kita. They're gone now." Makoto sat with Kita's head leaning on his shoulder. Her eyes started to droop closed as she snuggled against him. He glanced up at InuYasha and Kagome who were glaring back at him. "I'll talk to you in the morning, oyaji. She needs sleep." That said, he picked up the girl and made off to his room, shutting the sliding door behind him. Makoto placed Kita on his futon. It wasn't long before the girl was in a deep sleep. He smiled, looking down on her.

When awake, Makoto thought she looked older than she really was. Probably from all the hardships she was put though over her years alone. But now, as she slept, he saw how young she really was, at least two or three years younger than he. That didn't matter. He loved her; not like he 'loved' Akina, not like he loves his mother or father, or Shippou. It was different. She was different. He wanted nothing more than to protect her and stay by her side forever. Makoto's instincts were strong and told him to be possessive of her, keep her close to himself. That was new to him. Something was awakening in him.

When he sensed Kouga as a threat, he was angrier than he had ever been before. Makoto felt willing to rip off Kouga's head if he knew it would make Kita feel better. That scared him. He had never really been as violent as his father, and now these new feelings had him wanting blood of the wolf that scared Kita. He wanted the blood of her so called 'master' as well. He wanted to see the youkai squirm under his claws, beg for mercy; he wanted to fight with anything that threatened his family or the girl. Just thinking about it made his own blood boil and a smirk to cross his face. Makoto shook his head and sat in the corner opposite of the sleeping she-wolf. _Maybe I should tell Oyaji about this._ He thought. _But he already has too much on his mind with Okaa and the pups. I'll have to handle it on my own for now._

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InuYasha and Kagome glared at the closed door a few moments before turning to each other. They silently walked to their own bedroom and snuggled on the bed. Human InuYasha shook his head and turned to Kagome. "Don't look at me like that; he got that stubborn streak from you." She replied with a sigh.

"It's not that." He stated. "That girl…"

Kagome nodded. "She was scared out of her wits when she saw Kouga and Ayame. She's only what? 15, 16? Out on her own like she was… Wolf-youkai rely on packs. For her to be alone her pack was either killed or……"

"Or they threw her out because she's hanyou." Kagome snuggled closer before InuYasha continued. "That's was happens. When you're hanyou, you have three choices. Die, become hard like I did, or become like that she-wolf out there. Afraid of her own shadow. I'll tell you what happened. Her pack kept her alright, right after they killed off her parents. Made her do whatever they wanted, and dumped her off when they were finished." His hands where balled into tight fists.

"She'll just have to stay here, then. I'm not letting her go off on her own, and it's apparent she doesn't want to go with Kouga. There's nothing else we can do."

"Keh. Lets just worry about that in the morning." An evil smirk crossed his face as he nuzzled his mate's neck. He worked his way up, kissing her neck, up her jawbone, stopping to nibble on her ear (receiving giggles from Kagome) and stopping for an even longer time on her lips. :bump, bump: "Oi! What do you two think you're doing!"

Kagome laughed. "I think they're saying its bed time, Oyaji. It's been a long day and the three of us are a bit sleepy." InuYasha grumbled about something under his breath, but laid down next to his mate as she snuggled against his chest with a content sigh. With one hand she reached up, locking her fingers around one of InuYasha's ears, falling asleep to his soft growls.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I've never tried anything like it before, but I guess Miroku could do it, if he used enough spirit energy. Taking off a spell like that is hard enough, not knowing who cast it will make it even harder." Kagome explained after her son had filled her in with the details. "But I could do it, it won't take…"

"No. You ain't doing nothing like that wench, you promised." InuYasha growled out from his place at her side.

"It won't take much power, InuYasha. Just this last little twinge?"

"That healer said it could hurt you and the pups, Kagome. I said no." Kagome nodded and leaned against his shoulder.

"You're right. But I just don't think Miroku will be able to remove the spell."

"It won't hurt for him to try, Okaa. She's only got a day left before she has to meet up with that youkai." Makoto flicked an ear to his room to make sure Kita was still asleep. Her soft breathing told him she was.

"I didn't say I wouldn't try, Makoto. I'm just stating the truth. A submission spell like that is not something to be taken lightly. Miroku could get hurt if he does something wrong, or he could end up hurting Kita. Get Miroku and I'll do what I can."

Makoto smiled. "He's supposed to be on his way."

Kagome grinned back. "Spoiled little pup." She reached up as scratched his streaked ears.

"Okaa!" he grumbled, flicking them away. InuYasha snorted. Makoto twitched an ear to his side. "Miroku's here." He frowned. "Hana and Yumi are with him."

"Keh. Go wake the wolf and get her out here. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can figure out what to do with her."

Makoto suppressed a growl at his oyaji's last comment, but silently obeyed him nonetheless. Kita was still sleeping peacefully on his futon. He didn't have the heart to wake her, but fortunately for him she started to stir on her own. "Okaa and Miroku are going to try to remove the spell. Do you think you're ready?" Kita took a deep breath and nodded. He helped her to her feet and started out the door, only to be stopped by the feel of her hands around his waist.

"Thank you, Makoto."

The first thing Kagome noticed when the couple entered the main room was the twin blushes both of them wore across their cheeks. She grinned, InuYasha 'keh'ed, Miroku held his bickering girls apart by the collar of their kimonos. "Sango made me bring them." He replied when Makoto gave him a glare. "Both of you go outside. No more fighting or I'll tell your Okaa-san." The girls gulped and ran outside. Everyone turned to Kagome.

"Kita, Miroku, the first thing you need to know is that this could be a little dangerous. The immensity of this spell could end up harming one or both of you." She looked at each of them. "Do you still want to go through with it?" They both nodded. "Alright then. Miroku, do you have purifying sutras with you?"

"As always." Miroku pulled out thin slips of paper from his robe.

"This is the dangerous part. You'll have to purify the youkai's connection with the spell without purifying Kita as well. And, depending on how powerful this youkai is, he could have set a trap of sorts for anyone who tries to remove the spell."

InuYasha gave her an incriminating glare. "And you were thinking of doing it yourself." He prosecuted.

Kagome ignored the hanyou and continued helping Miroku with the preparations. After a few more tips and warnings for the both of them, Kagome let Miroku take a shot. At first, it seemed he may have been able to pull it off and release the girl, purifying energy crackling about Kita's neck but not burning her or Miroku in anyway; but hours later Kita was still confined to the spell and Miroku was worn. His eyes drooped with the final bit of spiritual energy he could muster.

"I'm sorry, Kagome, Kita, Makoto; it seems I'm not nearly powerful enough to break her enchantment."

"It's alright, Oji. We'll just have to find another way." Makoto looked at Kagome pleadingly.

"The only other way to break the spell is to either kill the youkai that created it or get that youkai to release her. As it is probably true that youkai will not release her, someone will have to hunt it down and kill it." Kagome looked up at InuYasha. He crossed his arms and glared back at her. "Oh come on, InuYasha! How long would it take you? Two? Three days?"

"Keh! I'm not leaving you here to go chase some stupid youkai to break a freakin spell! Makoto's old enough to handle it himself." He snorted.

"I'll go." Makoto spoke up. His Okaa's glare caused him to shift uncomfortably where he sat. "I'm just as good of a fighter as Oyaji. I can do this."

InuYasha 'keh'ed, Kagome gave her son a sad-eyed look and sighed. "Considering my baka of a mate refuses, I guess I have no choice. But Shippou is going with you." She leaped up from where she was sitting (well, as much as a pregnant Kagome could leap) and threw her arms around Makoto. He rolled his eyes but allowed her the moment. He never understood why she would always get clingy when he was going off to fight something, but as long as it made her and InuYasha happy.

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Not too far away, hidden deep within InuYasha's forest, two black clad figures with silver hair stood silently in the shadows. Both their cheeks were tattooed with purple stripes and on their foreheads a pink-tinted scar where a crescent moon once was. The scar looked almost like burn marks, as if the mark had been burned from the inside out. They both pulled back the hoods of their cloaks to reveal pointed ears and even more of the long, flowing silver hair that went half way down their backs. The younger of the two kneeled before his elder and waited for him to speak.

"Taru. Seeing as you have arrived alone, I take it you were unable to persuade your brother."

The younger flinched before he replied. "I apologize, Otou-san. Yukio has betrayed us. He has chosen the human girl over his own dignity as a noble youkai." The older youkai twitched at the news. "But my quest was not without its rewards."

"Then what other news have you for me?" the older youkai was now sounding slightly annoyed.

"The miko and half-breed returned to the castle not two weeks ago. They left a few nights ago, and I followed them to a small village not too far from here. There I also found the human slayer and monk, with their litter of pups; and the half-breed's own son." The older youkai was now smirking at the news. "There is more, Otou-san. It seems your little pet has been keeping their son company while they were away."

"Ah. So that is why she has yet to show. She hopes the miko will be able to rid her of my spell. That does cause a problem, but losing one pet is worth finally finding those humans and that hanyou."

"The miko is unable to use her powers. Her frail human body is pregnant with twins of the half-breed. She was told by the healer not to use her powers in fear for the safety of their unborn pups. Neither she nor the hanyou will risk the lives of the pups." The older youkai was now sporting an ear to ear grin. "What will you have me do to them, Otou-san? Shall I attack?"

"No. I have bigger plans for them. You go back to the western lands and continue with the original plans. After I take care of these small…problems, we will proceed with the attack on Sesshomaru's castle, and with a few new reinforcements."

Taru smirked. "You will place the spell on them as well then?"

"Only the hanyou. Humans are not worth the effort, and the miko is too strong for her own good. Allowing her to live would be like running upon my own sword. No, she will have to die, her and the pups. I'll take care of this task myself. You go on back to the western lands and gather the men. When I return, Sesshomaru will fall."

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**A/N:**

**Gah! I've been a very bad updater as of late. Sorry about that. Don't have time to update the website right now, but the answer to the quiz was 'LOST'. I think only one person got it right. **

**Don't start thinking Kita is some kind of a wimp because of her reaction to Kouga and Ayame. Her spirit was broken long ago, that added to it being a human night…you do the math. I promise you'll get to see her butt kicking actions soon enough.**


	12. First Encounters

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 12: First Encounters**

Makoto paced himself behind the wolf-hanyou so that he was close enough to keep up with the girl, but far enough behind as to not be noticed by prying eyes. Occasionally he would see her glance back to make sure he was still there, or he would catch a whiff of her growing fear and anxiety in the passing wind. He wanted nothing more than to run up to her and hold her, but he had to stick to the plan. Kita was supposed to be meeting with her 'master'. Makoto was to follow her, then make his move as soon as the youkai was in his sight. Simple. Quick. Makoto cracked his knuckles with a very InuYasha-like smirk across his face. It had been months since he had a decent fight, and though he wasn't as violent as his oyaji, he was quite overdue for a good butt kicking.

The further into the forest she got, the more nervous Kita was beginning to get. This time it wasn't just her, Makoto was putting himself into danger as well. She had tried to talk him out of following her, or at least waiting for Shippou, but he was too stubborn. In a way, she was glad he had decided to come with her. His presence comforted her. But then her mind would wonder back to what was ahead. Kita warned Makoto and the others about her master. Truthfully, she knew Makoto was stronger, but strength had nothing to do with it. Her master was clever; he had no ties as weaknesses. There was no doubt in her mind Makoto cared for her, and no doubt that it would be used against him in his fight.

Kita winced as her leg started to throb. It still wasn't completely healed, though weeks had passed. She would have that weakness for the rest of her life, a mark of the sins she had unwillingly committed. But that would be no more. She had decided, if Makoto were to fail, if she were doomed to be taken back by the youkai, she wouldn't allow it. She would die, no matter what it took she would not go back to that life. She sniffed, suddenly stopping and smelling the scents flowing in the breeze.

"Kita. You're late." A booming voice came from in front of her.

"M-master…" she took a step back, quickly searching the surrounding area for any sign of Makoto. There was a flash of blue on her right. She grinned to herself, her face unseen to the youkai due to her flowing hair. "I…was delayed."

"Delayed? By what were you delayed?"

"I…my leg…I…" she stammered.

"Weak fool. How many times have I told you not to let something as simple as pain interfere with my work!" His anger was multiplied though the spell on her neck. She gagged, but held her ground. "Now, tell me what you were really up to."

"She doesn't have to tell you anything!" Makoto was nothing but a ball of silver and blue coming down from the trees in a flash. Kita stumbled back, but the youkai stood his ground.

"Hmp. So you're the half-breed's son? Yes, no mistaking it. A perfect cross of the miko and that filth."

Makoto growled. "What do you want with them!"

"Revenge, you little mutt, revenge. Your Otou, _InuYasha_," he slurred the name, "and that miko of his tainted the bloodline of what was once a noble race of inu-youkai. All of you and your love for humans is completely pathetic. Even the _great_ Sesshomaru has a soft spot for humans, and still he calls himself the Lord of the Western lands."

"Why do you care if we love humans! What does any of that have to do with _you?_"

The youkai pulled back his silver bangs to reveal the crescent moon scar on his forehead. His eyes were flashing with anger. "I was the first among many of the inu-youkai Sesshomaru threw out of the castle years ago because we refused to accept half-breeds and humans. He betrayed his own heritage, and punished us for his incompetence."

"Oji threw you out because you were going against his orders. Like it or not, he** is** the Lord of the Western lands and the leader of the inu-youkai."

The inu smirked. "That will soon be fixed. Permanently."

Makoto made sure he was standing between the youkai and Kita the entire time. His growls grew considerably louder at the inu's proclamation. He could hear Kita struggling behind him, but kept his eyes on the inu-youkai. "Let her go." He finally spoke. "Let her go and I won't kill you."

The inu laughed. "What makes you think you could kill me?"

Makoto had enough. He was quick, landing directly behind the youkai in a few short leaps with one clawed hand poised in a striking stance right above the youkai's head. The inu chuckled as his elbow made full contact with Makoto's stomach, making him double over and stumble backward. The youkai wasted no time, countering his first attack with a blow to Makoto's back, sending him hard to the ground. As soon as he recovered, he was back on his feet and attacking again. Their claws were locked together, both growling and pushing the other back.

Makoto's feet started to slide backward on the dusty ground. The youkai twisted around and jammed his knee into the hanyou's already sore back. Makoto fell to the ground growling at the new pain. They were both breathing heavily by that point, but Makoto's was raspier and labored from trying to breath through his newly cracked ribs. He used his sleeve to wipe the blood that had gathered at the corner of his mouth and stood in a low crouch. He could still hear Kita whimpering and gagging behind him.

"Let Kita go! She has nothing to do with this!"

"She's a half-breed. Nothing but a tool to be used by true youkai. She, and you, and your father, and the unborn whelps your mother bears; none of you should even exist. None of you should be allowed to walk the same earth as the true youkai such as myself. And if your uncle thinks otherwise, then he, his mate, and his own pitiful pup can join you in your death." The inu-youkai smirked with the effect his little speech seemed to have on the hanyou. He was beginning to get really angry, and attacking without thinking. It would be a perfect chance to place the spell on him without him even noticing until it was too late.

With an evil laugh, the youkai was standing beside Kita, roughly cupping her chin with his blood-covered claws. "You like her, don't you? Wolves are so much wilder than inu. But you like that. You like the wild ones. Just like InuYasha and his miko. It seems mutts like to be controlled by their mates, like nice little domesticated dogs."

"Get your hands off of her. Now." Makoto's heavy voice did not falter as he spoke.

"Ha. Even if you were strong enough to beat me before, your foolishness over protecting this girl has cause you to become too injured to do anything. I could kill her right now," he used one claw to nip her neck, "and you'll not be able to help."

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH HER!" ignoring his wounds, Makoto charged full strength at the youkai, who seemed a bit surprise at first before gracefully leaping out of the way, taking the struggling Kita with him.

"Temper, temper. I might not let her keep you if you bite like a rabid mutt."

"I'll slash that smirk off your face if you don't leave her alone!" he flexed his claws. He ran toward the youkai head-on, waiting till the last second to cartwheel to the side, hand-planting the ground and kicking the youkai square in the chest. He stumbled backwards just as Makoto fisted his hand and punched him in his right temple. The youkai dropped Kita to the ground with a hard thud. Makoto picked her up and placed her to the side before staring back. "Heh. Nothing to hide behind now, is there?"

The youkai smirked and wiped the trace amount of blood from his forehead before turning back to the hanyou. "You think I need to hide from the likes of you? Heh. Pup. You're slow and clumsy, even by hanyou standards." In a flash the youkai was standing beside the fallen girl once again.

"Wha…?" Makoto growled.

The youkai laughed as he grazed a claw against Kita's paling cheek. She wasn't struggling anymore. "I told you," his claw grazed her flesh and nicked her neck again, drawing even more blood. "she shouldn't even have existed in the first place."

"K-kita…" his anger grew beyond measure. "Kita!"

"She won't wake this time, half-breed. She has no reason to." Suddenly there was a hand grasping the youkai's wrist. He looked up into the now red-hued eyes of the hanyou. His grip was fiercingly stronger than the youkai thought that he was capable of. He tried to jerk back only to have his wrist snapped in two. "You…" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as Makoto's elbow connected with the youkai's jaw, earning a loud crack for his reward. He stumbled backward and gazed at the new threat. The hanyou had transformed. His eyes glowing, claws and fangs considerably longer, even his aura had changed. His human blood was nearly depleted in his transformation.

"I see I shouldn't play around with you anymore puppy." He growled through his aching jaw. "Better to get rid of you now." The inu-youkai trudged forward with his rage. Blow after blow, neither seemed to keep the upper hand. They were both bleeding from multiple wounds covering their bodies. The youkai gained control of the fight once more, and in one last desperate move his uninjured hand penetrated through the hanyou's stomach. Transformed Makoto grunted, everything suddenly growing very quiet. He fell to his knees, not even his youkai side should have had the strength to stand from the sudden massive blood loss; but he managed to stand again out of pure determination. "You fool. You'll kill yourself."

"What do you care?" He replied in a raspy voice. But he knew the youkai had the upper hand now. His blood still boiled with the faint smell of Kita's blood still lingering through the thick smell of his own blood and that of the youkai. Attack after attack weakened the hanyou even more, refusing to give in to the fatigue. The youkai was fairing slightly better, having a few deep gouges across his chest and face. One final swipe with his claws left Makoto leaning on the ground on one forearm as the other hand gripped his shredded stomach. He was panting heavily, the youkai hovering just about him, gazing down at him through narrowed eyes.

However, Makoto's youkai blood was edging to the surface, and he was back in the fight. Suddenly, his wounds didn't hurt as much anymore. In fact, he didn't even feel them. His whole world was tinted with red as his desperation grew and his human blood was pushed further back. The inu-youkai in front of him merely smirked.

"If I fight you now, you will use your dying breath to kill me." He stated. "But what about _her_?"

Silence. Confusion. Fear. All these ran though Makoto's mind as the youkai's words started sinking in… A heavy blow came to the back of his head, sending him crashing down. Kita now stood behind him, her eyes completely white, claws extended, fangs bared. She looked possessed, and that she was. The youkai looked very satisfied with the impossible to describe look on Makoto's face.

"Kill her, or she'll kill you."

The possessed Kita lunged forward with her claws, Makoto pulling his up to block causing their fingers to intertwine. They pushed back against each other, Kita nipping at his arms with her fangs. Any red tinge that was left in his eyes disappeared as panic started to set in. This was the work of the spell. She had no idea what she was doing, or any power to stop it. And Makoto found himself unable to do anything to stop her.

"LET HER GO!" he yelled in desperation. His only response was to be thrown to the ground by Kita with a strong hand around his throat. The youkai approached him slowly. "K-kita…fight it…don't…"

"Heh. You think this beast can hear you, much less understand you? No. She'll do only what she is told to do by _me_."

Makoto's vision was blurred from blood loss and the rushing of pain now that his youkai blood was subsided. He couldn't let Kita get the better of him, but he couldn't fight her. Even his instincts wouldn't let him fight against Kita. Makoto pried Kita's hand loose from around his throat and rolled across the ground into a squatting position a few feet away. Barely any time to get a grip on the situation, he ducked from another one of the she-wolf's blows, his right ear getting caught by one of her claws. Makoto held in a whimper as droplets of blood fell into his ear from the wound. Now **that** one really hurt!

Makoto was quicker to recover this time, his right ear flat on his head and his left flicking from Kita to the youkai behind her. He pulled himself to his feet with a grunt. "I'm not going to fight her." He directed to the youkai.

The inu-youkai seemed disappointed. "Kill him." He ordered the enslaved Kita.

Kita's hand gripped Makoto's throat once more. Makoto didn't try to stop her this time. He only lifted his head high enough to look into Kita's eyes, and he smiled. The girl's grip on the hanyou declined. Makoto started seeing green color flash back into her eyes as she battled against the spell. "Fight it, Kita! It's up to you, you're the one who has to free yourself!"

"Shutup! She can't free herself! She's too much of a weakling!"

"NO! Don't listen to him, Kita. Listen to me, only me. You can do this, you can beat him. Fight it. You're stronger than you think, Kita. Trust me." He gagged out.

Kita fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands and thrashing about. The red glow around her neck grew brighter. :SMACK: The youkai had came up beside Kita and smashed the back of her head with one of his fists. She groaned and slumped to the ground unmoving…

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"Oi! Are you saying this is _my_ fault!"

"You're the one with the super-hanyou senses!"

"Keh! Like I knew they were going to go off and try something stupid without me!"

"You'd be the first to go too, if _I_ ever wanted to do something stupid!"

"What are you getting at, wench!"

"I told you to stop calling me wench, you baka!"

"I told you to stop calling me baka, wench!"

"Grrrrr… SIT!" 'THUMP!' Kagome sighed and shook her head, sitting beside the hanyou and waiting for the spell to wear off. "I'm sorry, InuYasha. I just wish you would have gone with them. They could at least have waited for Shippou."

"The kit's always late. I would have left without him, too." InuYasha sat up and rubbed his sore jaw. "You think you can at least put a pillow or something down before you say 'it'?"

"Big, strong hanyou need a pillow?" she batted her eyelashes in a playful manor.

"Keh."

"So, when are you leaving?"

"Leaving?"

"Yea, you know, to get our son?"

InuYasha shook his head. "I already said I'm not leaving you here alone. The pup can fend for himself." The worried expression on his face told Kagome he was just as worried as she was, but he refused to admit it. _Stupid, incompetent, irrational pup! What was he thinking, going off like that! When he gets back I'm gonna thump him so hard…_

"What are you two arguing about now?" Shippou was leaning against the wooden door frame with his arms crossed against his chest, giving each of them an amused look.

"About freakin time you got here! Makoto and that stupid wolf ran off already!" InuYasha growled out, ignoring the kitsune's question. "And so help me Shippou, if you don't get moving right now I'm gonna thump you like you've never been thumped before!"

Shippou's face went slightly pale as he nodded and took off toward the woods before InuYasha had time to demonstrate his threat. _Oyaji. After years of hunting down shards, battling youkai, nearly getting killed, maimed, squashed, flattened, pierced, burned, eaten, thumped, and nearly getting my tail cut off, Oyaji's thumpings still manage to scare me the most…_

It didn't take much for Shippou to get on Makoto's trail. It was a clear shot through the forest, nothing but a walk in the park to the kitsune. The wind shifted slightly as Shippou figured he was getting a bit closer, and brought with it a very disturbing scent. _Blood. And lots of it…_ He broke into an all out sprint. The scent got stronger with each passing second, and not just because he was closing in on the scent, but because there was much more blood to give it off. _What did you get yourself into now, Makoto?_

He came across the scene in the nick of time. Within seconds Shippou barreled his shoulder into the youkai who had his claws raised against the fallen Makoto. The inu-youkai slammed against a nearby tree and grunted with the sudden jar. The youkai stood there in shock for a few seconds before turning to retreat. That taken care of, Shippou turned his attention to his brother.

"Why didn't you wait, you stubborn, ignorant pup!"

"Just shutup and…get…Kita." Makoto managed to growl out.

Shippou looked around to find the wolf-hanyou thrown to the ground, flesh a sickly pale hue. "Makoto… I don't think she…"

"Don't say that…" Makoto stood wobbly on his feet and shakily approached and plopped down next to the girl. She looked so frail, so fragile, as if she would break if he even touched her. But there was a slight rising and falling of her chest… she was still breathing, she was alive. The spell still glowing red around her neck on the thin silver hair. Makoto growled. That was what was causing all her pain. He reached out and grabbed it, putting his other hand on Kita's cheek. _Fight it._ He willed her mentally. She took a deep intake of breath, everything suddenly growing very quiet and still. _Fight it._

'Snap.'

The sound was hollow, nearly silent. Makoto looked down as the hair in his fist slowly lost it's color and dissolved. He took a big sigh of relief as Kita started coughing and struggling to set herself up. Makoto grabbed her arm to help, stopped by his own injuries. Shippou, seeing this, offered the girl his help instead. She was shaking all over, taking in deep breaths with one hand rubbing her sore neck. Her eyes were still clouded as she fell into Shippou's arms, passing out once more.

"Get her to Okaa."

"But you…"

"I'll be right behind you. Just get her out of here."

Shippou carefully placed the girl on his back and offered an arm to help guide Makoto. "Like I'm really going to leave you here." He said with a smirk and grunt to the added weight.

"Didn't know you cared so much." Makoto retorted with his own smirk.

"Keh. Right, like I'm doing this to save your sorry hide. If I go back without you, Okaa and Oyaji would have a new fox-fur pelt to give to the pups for a blanket."

Makoto managed to choke out a 'keh' and a small chuckle before limping away under Shippou's shoulder.

**A/N:**

**First off to answer a few questions: No, no lemons in my stories. They are rated Teen for one thing, and for another doesn't 'allow' lemons, and I just don't write them.**

**And to answer the other question, you guys just have to read and see what's gonna happen. :smirk:**

**Next, I think I'm getting lazy with updates. .**

**But I will update at least once a week…though I do like updating every day, or every other day, but that's just not possible this time around. Remember, good reviews encourage me. XDD**

**As always, go to www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)Tsucasa**

**For points and more.**


	13. Not So Young Anymore

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 13: Not So Young Anymore**

"I don't know who he was. He was a inu, silver hair, purple stripes; obviously someone from _your_ family." Shippou sighed and glanced back to his brother's closed door. Kagome was sound asleep in her room, by orders of her mate on the account she had stressed herself out with the care of the injured hanyou pair, so Shippou was stuck answering InuYasha's 101 questions.

"Anything else?"

"I didn't get but a glimpse of him. I came in, pushed him off Makoto, he bolted. That's all I got."

"Keh. What good are you, then?" InuYasha crossed his arms and huffed. He was worried. He hated being worried. He hated the fact that Kagome was pregnant and nearly helpless while there was someone out looking for the two of them. _So you'll just have to keep a closer eye on the wench until the youkai's dead. _He smirked. _That won't be so bad…_

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Kita was drowning in darkness. Spiraling down a black tunnel. That was it for her. She couldn't breath, couldn't move, could no longer tell what was going on around her. There were faint sounds; thuds, growls. Other than that she was lost to the world. It was cold, so cold… and dark. Darkness and cold were all that existed to her. Kita was finding herself going deeper and deeper into the void, not able to get a good enough grasp on the situation to stop herself. There was an evil aura trapping her, that of her youkai master. It was too much, to overwhelmingly painful.

Then there was a light. A warming, calming presence. It surrounded Kita and slowly brought her back. _Makoto…_ She wondered to herself. That was his aura taking hold of her. He was bringing her back, slowly, surely, but it ended up being too much for her, even with his presence. She started slipping back into the darkness. She gasped as a warm hand touched her cheek. The other aura was suddenly dispersed and Kita could breathe again. She took several deep breaths, the sound echoing in her own ears. The last thing she remembered was being lifted and carried away…

Slowly the wolf-hanyou started to come around. Opening one eye, then the other. She was warm. Unbelievably warm, and something was wrapped around her waist. Hot breath tickled the back of her neck as the object behind her gave out a deep sigh. She felt herself being pulled closer to that object as her cheeks tinted pink with blush. Kita didn't know if she was alive or dead, but Kita didn't want to move from that spot. She turned herself in her captor's arms and snuggled into his chest.

There was a small grimace on Makoto's face as he woke. "Good morning." He said, lazily stretching one arm above his head.

"Makoto… what happened yesterday?"

"Keh. Don't worry about it." He gave his loving smile. "You're free now. That youkai won't be bothering you anymore." Makoto took great pleasure in the gasp and shock that shinned across her features. She jerked up leaving Makoto laying alone on the futon as she ran her hands carefully around her neck. Not feeling the tiny hair she had grown so accustomed to, Kita plopped back down.

"But…but…how…?"

Makoto reached out and pulled the she-wolf back down with him, running his fingers over her ears, receiving a tiny twitch. "You did it. I don't know how, but you destroyed the spell right after that baka youkai ran off."

"He's still alive!"

"I told you not to worry about it. He's my problem now, not yours."

Kita shook her head and sighed. "You got hurt."

"Nothing but a flesh wound. It'll heal completely by tonight. How are you feeling?"

Kita rubbed at her neck out of habit. It was strange, being free again. She half expected to feel that strange tingling around her neck telling her there was something else her master wanted from her. "I'm…fine. I just don't remember very much about what happened." She finally replied, smiling and snuggling against him. She _really_ didn't want to move.

"So… any ideas about where you're gonna go now?" Makoto asked with a hint of sarcasm. 'Ooof!' an elbow connected with his side. "Jeez, woman! I saved you're life and here you are driving your elbow in my side." He said with a smirk.

"That's what you get for asking dumb questions." Her smile faded to a more serious expression. "I…I want to stay with you, for as long as you let me. I really do like your family, and…I like it here. So…can I stay? With you?"

Makoto smiled brightly down at her. His answer floated within his golden eyes, telling her he wished for nothing more. He cupped her cheek with a gentle touch of his hand. Kita leaned into his palm, feeling his rough claws against her skin. "I want you to stay here, with me." He replied after moments of welcomed silence. Slowly Makoto leaned down, hovering inches above her lips with his own…

"Oi! Get out here Makoto!"

Makoto looked toward his door and growled. Kita pushed herself to her feet, blushing ferociously and straightening out her dirty kimono. Makoto sighed as he got to his feet, raising his hand to his chest with a wince. He noticed Kita looking down at his wound with a frown, quickly shrugging off the slight pain and walking out into the main room where Kagome, InuYasha, Tani, and Shippou waited. Kita followed silently behind.

"Keh. About time, pup. Now," he glared at Makoto, ignoring the she-wolf behind his son and the constant glare from his mate. "I want you to tell me exactly went on. Who is this youkai?"

"If I knew who he was, I would have told you already Oyaji." Makoto answered with a hint of aggravation. "He seems to know you, and Okaa, and Oji Miroku, Oba Sango, and Oji Sesshomaru. He said he use to live in the castle, until Oji Sesshomaru threw him out. His markings were burned off." His eyes narrowed. "That youkai…he's up to something big. I think he's going to challenge Oji for control of the Western Lands."

"Haru!" InuYasha yelled with a loud growl. "It has to be him, that…that baka of a brother of mine should have killed him! Not just…just…LET him walk away!" Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder, which seemed to calm him a bit. He wrapped his arms around her in his regular fashion, careful of her stomach.

"Are we going to hunt him down?" Shippou broke the silence. Everyone waited for InuYasha's answer.

"No. I'm not leaving Kagome like this, and neither of you are going after him either. If he comes looking for a fight, he'll get it, but I'm not risking Kagome. It'll have to wait till the pups are older." He turned, acknowledging Kita for the first time that morning. "You're not allowed to leave right now either. I can't have Makoto running after you again. You got that wolf?" Kita gulped but nodded.

"Well, come on Tani. I think it's time for a nice dip in the hot springs. You too Kita."

"Kagome…"

"Stay in the tree with your back turned for all I care, InuYasha. Please don't argue."

"Fine, but take it easy or you'll be getting a sponge bath until after the pups are born."

Kagome, Tani, and Kita grabbed a few things and left the guys to their own musings for their time at the hot springs. Kita gave Makoto a small smile before she followed the other two girls out the door. They were laughing and carrying on in front of her, apparently about the guys. At the hot springs the three slipped into the warm water. Kita worked on scrubbing at the dirt that had caked itself on her skin and in her hair. The water felt good, and the soap Kagome had given her to use tickled as the tiny bubbles popped around her ears. She covered them with her hands and ducked under to rinse.

"They're so over protective sometimes. I mean, the other day I was helping Sango in the village and Shippou like to have rammed all the workers out of the way just so he could stop me from picking up a bag of rice. Where do they get off thinking we're that fragile in this state, anyway?"

"Hmm, who knows. Have you two talked about it yet? InuYasha's known about it for two weeks now, him and his nosey nose. When are you going to tell everyone else?"

"I don't really know. Shippou wants to have a grand announcement, of course. If I left it up to him all of Japan would know by now, but I want my family to hear it first. We're leaving in a few days to tell my brother."

"My first grandchild. Hm." Kagome wrinkled her nose. It sounded like she was so old, but she had to remember Shippou was already a child when she and InuYasha took him in. Now they had two grown boys, with two more pups on the way. Miroku and Sango had four girls, and now Shippou is going to be a father. And Makoto? Well, if she was right, Kita would soon be a part of their growing family as well. Kagome knew the look in his eyes every time they looked at each other. She looked at Kita who seemed completely lost in the bubbly sensation of soap. She was a lot sweeter than Akina, and better looking as far as Kagome could tell. "Kita. Can I talk with you a bit?" she asked as sweetly as she could. Her ears flicked forward as she shyly nodded.

"Now that you're here, will you stay?"

Kita thought for a few moments. She was free now. She could go anywhere she wanted, with anyone she wanted to be with. She couldn't help the grin that spread wide across her face.

Kagome and Tani grinned and giggled knowingly. "I guess that's a yes, wouldn't you say Kagome-sama?"

"I'll say. Kita, I believe that's the first time I've seen you smile before." Kita just blushed.

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Makoto was sitting in one of the many branches on Goshinboku, dazing off into the distance wearing a dreamy smile. He kept catching Kita's sweet scent coming from the hot springs on the wind. Kagome liked her, Makoto could already tell. InuYasha, of course, acted like he could care less, but even he had a bit of a soft spot for the girl. Makoto heard the girls returning to the hut and jumped from his branch.

"Makoto?" he froze. "Makoto, please, can we talk?"

"I've already told you, we don't have anything to talk about, Akina. Just leave." He replied, not even bothering to turn around and face the she-wolf.

She walked up to him and hugged him from behind. "I've missed you. Please, just hear me out. I want you back, Makoto. So I've made a few mistakes, everyone has. Can't you forgive me?"

"I did. The first time you ran off. Contrary to what you believe, I am not just a stupid hanyou. I know when to let things go." He grabbed her wrists and forced her arms from around his waist. "Go. Away."

"Don't you leave, Makoto! Don't you dare." She had her hands fisted tight by her side like a child not getting her way. "I know about the girl. That wench is just using you to get what she wants. As soon as she has it she'll leave you. You deserve someone like me, not that sorry little half-breed mutt!"

Makoto's shoulders were shaking with rage. He closed his eyes and focused on maintaining his control, which was not working in the least. Before anything else could happen he held Akina by the scruff of her neck and forced her eyes to gaze directly into his. "Don't _ever_ call her that. Not _ever_." Seeing that his message had gotten through, he released her and she stumbled back completely bewildered. Just to exaggerate his point he growled until she disappeared in the whirlwind trademark of her father. _Probably going to cry to Kouga. He'll be coming around sometime soon. Oyaji won't be happy with this. But Kita…she shouldn't have said those things about her! I'm a half-breed, too. What makes me any different from Kita? _So much for his good mood.

"Oyaji!" He yelled as he approached the hut. InuYasha stepped out and followed his son back to Goshinboku.

"What do you want, Makoto?"

"Akina came around again."

"Keh." He tapped his nose, "Tell me something I don't know, pup. Otherwise I'm gonna thump you for bringing me out here for no reason."

"I attacked her." InuYasha's ears perked. "Something happened. She said something about Kita, and I lost it. It happened before, against that youkai. I…I just lost control of myself."

InuYasha took a few seconds to take in the new information before shaking his head with worry. "Did you… is Akina alright?"

"I didn't hurt her, Oyaji. But Kouga's not gonna be happy when he hears about it. I expect he'll show up sometime soon. All I wanted to do was give you a heads up."

"Keh. Like I care about what that mangy wolf has to say about it. If he would learn to control that freaky little tramp of his, we wou.."

"Enough, Oyaji! It's my problem! You're only making it worse talking about her like that, and picking fights with Kouga. This is my fight and Akina's fight. Not yours. Not Kouga's. You've got your own problems with Okaa right now, and I can take care of this on my own. Just stay out of it this time." With that, Makoto didn't even give InuYasha enough time to blink before he was gone.

InuYasha sighed and propped his back against the trunk of Goshinboku. He had always fought with the wolf, ever since the baka showed up and stole Kagome away from him. It was second nature for the two to fight. Kagome had told him over and over how 'immature' he acted around the stupid…well, you get the picture. Now his own son was saying the same thing. His first born pup. Makoto. The boy he had worked so hard to give the best life, where he would never have to fight, but still have the skills he needed to win if he had to. Fighting was what made InuYasha who he was. Hard, cold at times. Kagome had broken him of that, but only for her.

He kept telling Kagome it was time for her to let go. When he was first teaching Makoto to fight, she had to learn to let go. Now that Makoto had his own battles, he had already learned everything they both could teach him. He didn't need his Oyaji or Okaa to make everything better. Makoto was an adult, soon to start his own life, with his own mate maybe. And just maybe it was time for InuYasha to butt out for awhile. _Makoto's not dumb to try everything on his own like I was. If he needs it, he'll ask for help. And I'll be more than glad to oblige. _He cracked his knuckles with a smirk. _So that settles it. For now on, the pup is on his own._

**A/N:**

**Trivia!**

"**Nothing but a flesh wound…" Okay, what famous Knight said this before, and from what movie? This one should be easy. :wink:**

**Hmm… my battle senses are tingling…oO;;**


	14. Wolf Fight Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day. You will all see…he will be mine…MINE….MINE!

**Chapter 14: Wolf Fight Part 1**

Akina huffed to herself as she stalked around in rage. That…that…MUTT had turned her down yet again. Where did **he** come up with the idea that he had such a right in the first place! Akina was a princess of the wolf pack, someone such as Makoto should be **begging** for her attention, much less her affection. And to top it off, he was falling for that half-wolf that just popped out of nowhere. She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and leaned up against a tree pouting. She had decided that couldn't go back home and tell Kouga about any of the events from the day before. She wasn't even supposed to be leaving the wolves' lands.

Her bothersome brother Kigai wouldn't be much help either. Knowing that moron, he would probably take Makoto's side over his own sister's. Akina couldn't go face to face with Makoto herself again. What had gotten under his skin anyway? For a few moments back there, she was almost scared of him. And why did it look like he had just been attacked? He may just be a half-breed but he was stronger than to just let a few rouge youkai beat him up that badly. She shoved that information to the back of her mind. She'll work out those details of the encounter later.

Right now she had to work out a way to get the competition out of the picture, if you could really even call the half-breed competition compared to Akina. What did that little girl have that she herself didn't have times ten? The pup wasn't that bad to look at but she definitely didn't have half of Akina's looks. She didn't look like she was much of a fighter either. And those ears? Augh. Pretending she liked Makoto's ears was bad enough.

That was how she had to get to Makoto, by going through his little tramp. Akina smirked to herself. That was a simple plan. Take out the little brat, show her who Makoto really belongs to. Then Akina would have Makoto all to herself again. If she beat the tramp then Makoto might just realize how useless the wannabe really was. With a snooty huff as she stood, Akina straightened her fur outfit and made her way back toward Makoto's hut. She always found it kind of sad. Even though he was only half youkai, he should at least have enough dignity and live like a youkai. But no, he lived in a hut…on the outskirts of a human village at that.

Akina approached and sniffed around. Makoto wasn't there. Neither were InuYasha, Kagome, or Shippou; but the little twit was there. Akina looked around silently, making absolutely sure they were the only two around, and that the others were far enough away that she wouldn't be interrupted. She found the half-wolf taking wood from a big pile to one side of the hut. She seemed fairly content, but all that would change…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was a bright, sunny day. A few fluffy clouds loomed overhead casting friendly shade over the land. The soft wind created a cooling breeze blowing through the trees of InuYasha's forest, the swaying branches causing the rustling of leaves. The morning birds sung their sweet songs to the other inhabitance of the happy little forest, and the squirrels chattered back their good mornings as well. A small bunny with a big fluffy tail hopped into a small glade that was still filled with fresh green grass, clover, and small yellow flowers. It stood up on its hind legs, its fuzzy ears moving to and fro on its cute little head, its nose and whiskers twitching as it sniffed around.

A pleasant little blue bird landed not too far away, cocking its head from side to side before half flapping his wings and half hopping toward the bunny. The bunny looked down at the bird; the bird looked up at the bunny. The bird's wing twitched. The bunny's nose twitched. Then the whole forest seemed to shake with a loud wail.

"KA-GO-MEEEE!"

Kagome's eye twitched as she and Sango watched the small critters scurrying for safety just before InuYasha stormed into the clearing, ripping down branch and bush in his wake. Sango helped Kagome to her feet with an annoyed look. Brushing the dirt and grass off of her back side, Kagome rolled her eyes at the foolish hanyou's antics.

"Sango, can you…?"

"Sure, Kagome." Wilt one last annoyed glance toward InuYasha, Sango headed off in the direction of the village.

InuYasha sighed and stepped toward Kagome, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. She sighed too, putting her own arms around her mate's neck and laying her head on his chest.

"What am I going to do with you wench? Hm?" he asked softly.

"InuYasha, I'm sick and tired of being forced to stay within ten feet of the hut! I want to move around more. Sango and I were just sitting here." She looked into his eyes. "Nothing is going to happen."

InuYasha held her close and thought to himself. "You want to get away for awhile? Just for the day?" Kagome looked up at him and nodded. "Keh. All you had to do was ask, wench." He kissed her cheek, picked her up, and took her back to the hut; telling her to grab a few things. Quickly explaining this to Makoto, the two were off on their getaway.

Makoto grabbed Kita's hand and pulled her close as soon as his parents were out of sight. He smirked and rubbed his forehead against hers. Kita smiled back and allowed his sweet scent to consume her. It made her feel protected, loved. It gave her strength and made her completely helpless at the same time. She was in love. Kita had figured out that's all it could possibly be. Kita was in love with Makoto. All his perks and flaws, his friends, his family, the way he looked at her, or even called her name. She loved it all.

It was hard for Makoto to see at first. His problems with Akina had blinded him from seeing his love for the girl he now held. Now it was as clear as it had even been, and he planned to let everyone know it. He growled sensually deep in his throat. How had he survived this long without ever knowing Kita? Where would he have been if he hadn't have found her that day and had taken care of her? He pushed the thoughts aside, not even wanted to dwell upon them.

The only thing that mattered was the present, the now, and the future between the two. He loved her, and he felt she knew though he still had yet to say as much to her, and he felt in his gut she felt the same way. For now, that's all Makoto needed. He slowly lowered his head, allowing his lips to gently brush against her soft cheek. Makoto reveled in how Kita's heartbeat started to soar, how her cheeks flushed and her breathing deepened. He loved how he had caused that kind of a reaction with such a simple touch.

Makoto, with a smirk to himself, decided to see just what other kind of reaction he could get out of her. He cupped one of her cheeks with the palm of his hand; Kita closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Feeling a bit more daring, he fitted his other hand at the small of her back and moved to where his breath was hot on her neck. She took in a deep breath gazed up at the golden-eyed hanyou through half-closed eyes. Makoto could feel the girl shivering in his arms. He touched his lips to the pulse point on her neck, her shaking increasing until his hand on her back was the only thing holding her up.

He breathed in deep, inhaling her intoxicating scent. Makoto had to fight himself from falling to his own knees. Makoto licked his dry lips, readying himself for the sweet taste of Kita's lips pressed to his. It was too perfect. _She_ was too perfect. The moment was all to perfect. And, apparently, the Faiths agreed.

"MAKOTO!" At Shippou's call the two released each other and stumbled apart, losing their footing and they both came crashing to the ground. "MAKOTO!" Shippou turned the corner of the hut and came upon the scene. He looked to Kita and then to his brother. "What are you two doing down there?"

Makoto narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms in an angry pout. "Keh. Absolutely nothing."

"Okaaay. Well then, I need you in the village for awhile. Think she can manage alone for half an hour?"

Kita smiled and nodded; a blush still evident across her face. "I'm fine. You go on. I'll just…stay here and…umm…yea. I'll be fine."

Makoto stared at her with a goofy grin across his face as he stood to his feet only to stumble as he was walking away. Shippou shook his head and pushed Makoto the rest of the way to the village. Kita couldn't help but giggle to herself. She stood and stretched her arms high above her head a twirled around in small circles. She was in seventh heaven. His eyes, his hair, his touch, his smell, his smiles and just the way he looked at her; what had she done to deserve him? How could she ever pay him back for all he had done for her?

_Well_, Kita thought to herself, _since Kagome is gone, I guess I could cook. He's always thinking of food anyway._ She rolled her eyes at her own thought and set off to the woodpile beside the hut to build a fire. Grabbing a few of the logs she walked to the door, but stopped. Suddenly something didn't seem right… a presence.

"So you're the little girl who thinks she can just waltz right up and take whatever she pleases." Kita dropped the wood she had been carrying and spun around toward the voice. "My, my. A bit jumpy aren't we?" Akina replied smugly, seeing and smelling the fear already building up in the wolf-hanyou.

"W-who are you?"

"I'm Akina. Surely Makoto has told you all about me?"

"No."

Akina's anger grew. "Well, as if that matters. I'm here about you. Whether you or he knows it or not Makoto is _mine_. I will not have such a half-breed tramp fondling all over what is rightfully _mine_!" She smiled and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "It's sad, really. Sad that you thought you had a chance with him."

Kita shook her head, the words painfully sinking in, but she refused to listen to them. "You're the one who hurt Makoto before. And…he's not yours." Even Kita was surprised by her sudden boldness. She looked eye to eye with the she-wolf. "Leave. Don't come back. Makoto is _mine_ now. Not yours."

Akina was shocked to say the least. From what she had heard the girl before here was meek and easily put down, yet she had stood up and called Makoto her own. She was going to have to do something about that girl's mouth. "Listen mutt," she retorted, using her father's favorite insult, "He belonged to me _way_ before you even showed up. And, little girl," she flexed he claws, "I'm going to make sure he stays that way. And that means getting rid of you."

Kita closed her eyes, sighing to herself. _I'd hoped I'd never have to fight like this again. I'd hoped beyond hope that I could live without fighting. But…Akina…why does she even bother with Makoto! She doesn't love him, she doesn't even think he deserves her!_ Letting out a deep sigh, her arms held tightly by her sides, knuckles white with the tightness in her fist, she opened her eyes.

Akina instantly felt a shiver go down her spine. The 'little girl' in front of her suddenly became a very big threat. The weak, submissive facade was thrown away, replaced by an intense glare from the girl's emerald-green eyes that could pierce through to the soul of the foulest beast. Suddenly she wasn't too sure of herself. Maybe she had made a mistake by challenging the girl? No. She had already come this far, turning back now would be useless and senseless.

Kita pulled a ribbon that was looped around her waist with a sash on her green kimono, taking it and wrapping her hair tightly in the back. Makoto had fought for her, now she was going to fight for him. She slid one foot parallel behind her, hiking it up so her heel was hovering over the dirt. She brought one arm straight out in front, palm out and low near her thigh. Her other hand she brought closer to her chest in a fist bent at the elbow.

'Hmph'. Akina put herself on her toes on her back foot, bringing both her hands out in front of her with a smirk. "Save the pleasantries, let's get this over with." Akina pushed off with her back foot and swung one clawed fist toward her adversary. Kita was quicker, and just plain out a better and more experienced fighter. Straightening her front leg and bending the back, she was easily able to avoid the attack without moving from her place. As soon as Akina pulled back Kita hand-planted her front palm on the ground in front of her, swinging her back foot through the air. It came in direct contact with Akina's side, causing her to double-over. While Kita twirled back around, her fisted palm clipped Akina just below her left eye. _That_ was going to leave a bruise.

Akina stumbled back, cupping one hand over her rapidly swelling cheekbone and her other arm wrapping around her side. Her eyes suddenly became very full of anger as she growled out her humiliation and readied herself once again. Kita swiveled her leg back behind her in the same stance as before. This fight was going to be all too easy for her. Though Akina was more confident and older, she had absolutely no discipline needed to be a true threat. She was blindly going into a battle she could not win.

Akina growled loudly and threw herself toward Kita, who used the palm of her hand to push the wolf to one side while side-stepping to the other. Akina turned back around and charged again. This time she was able to streak her claws across Kita's forearm before Kita dropped to her back, using her strong legs and feet to propel Akina into the air, sending her spiraling into the side of the hut. While she was down, Akina grabbed a broken piece of bamboo from the wreckage of her fall. She stood back up and lunged with one of her clawed hands extended while the other hid her make-shift weapon behind her back. As Kita blocked the attack using the palm of her hand, Akina pulled out the broken bamboo and shoved it in between Kita's shoulder and collarbone.

Kita didn't allow the sudden pain to affect her focus. She gritted her teeth and growled painfully as she took the bamboo from her own shoulder, tossing it aside and folding her injured arm inside her kimono. The bamboo had separated her shoulder from its joint, effectively making one arm useless. Making sure to keep that arm out of further danger, she changed her stance, standing sideways with the good arm in front bent at the elbow in a fist and her front foot pointing toward the other she-wolf.

Akina hated that she had to stoop down to cheating in her fight against the half-breed. She, after all, was the one to insist on the fight by challenging the girl. And she just wouldn't stop! How was this the same girl from before! The one that cowered in fear at the very sight of Kouga and Ayame not long before! No. This girl was going down. With renewed vigor and confidence now that her opponent had a strong handicap, Akina attacked relentlessly. Claws met claws, growl for growl, and blow for blow. Kita was starting to have a little trouble keeping up with her injured shoulder, allowing Akina to get in more than just a few good hits and slashes.

Kita fell to one knee, breathing hard and gripping her shoulder. She was bleeding from various wounds, none of them all that serious, but some reopening older and deeper wounds from before. She had not expected to wear her energy out so soon. Kita still wouldn't give up, not this soon. Makoto would never give up on her. She had no doubt that Makoto would accept her even if she did lose this fight, but she had to prove to herself that she did deserve him, and that she wasn't useless.

Akina surveyed her prey with predatory eyes, circling Kita like a vulture sighting its next meal. Now she had the mutt precisely where she wanted her. On her knees, head bowed low in front of her. Akina lifted her clawed and brought them down hard…

"KITAAAA!"

**A/N:**

…**.bad cliffy::hides: I wasn't even gonna make this chappie, or the next. I had something completely different lined up, but got struck with a lightning bolt of inspiration. XD**

**Anyway, sorry again for taking so long. Promise the next chapter will be out within the next few days. **

**As always,**

**www dot freewebs dot com slash kachikitsucasa**

**for points and check out the links page and the fanart.**


	15. Wolf Fight Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day. You will all see…he will be mine…MINE….MINE!

**Chapter 15: Wolf Fight Part 2**

Shippou and Makoto had been working for half an hour helping the villagers repair the irrigation channel that had been flooded and washed out in the last rain. The work would have been easier if the villagers would have just let Shippou and Makoto do it on their own, but neither of them said as much. They merely worked around them and did their best to get it done as quickly as possible. After much debate over which route the original irrigation channel took and where the new one should be, Makoto finally decided for them and started digging with Shippou right behind him.

Covered from head to toe in dirt, mud, and whatever else the villagers had scattered in the fields, the two brothers went there separate ways. Shippou headed back to the village where Tani awaited him with a hot bath. Makoto sighed, stretching his arms over his head and starting down the path to his hut. Maybe he would catch a few fish to go with the few vegetables the villagers had given him in payment for his help. He could use a bath anyway, and the cool water sounded very appealing. Maybe he could get Kita to come along with him. He smirked.

It was nice thinking that Kita would be there when he got home. Even better, that she would _always_ be there when he got home. Like Tani with Shippou, or Miroku and Sango, or his own parents. Maybe it was time he got a home of his own. A bit further away from the village. He liked it being a bit secluded. So did InuYasha, but Makoto knew he had built the hut closer to the village for Kagome's sake. Kita would like it better further away from the village, too. Not that Makoto was thinking about taking her as a mate or anything, oh no. They were just getting started…or at least he thought they were getting started with…something. They just kept getting…interrupted.

He didn't believe that either one of them were ready for something like that. Makoto still had to sort through things, like his past with Akina. Though he already knew he never wanted her back, or to even see her for that matter, some part of him still kind of missed her. And this time he didn't want to rush into anything. And Kita was still getting use to the idea of settling down a bit. He didn't want to do anything to hurt her anymore than she had already been. Makoto would wait until they were both ready. He smirked. He really didn't think InuYasha and Kagome were ready for that either.

Makoto stopped. There was a familiar scent. Akina. Kita. Mixtures of blood. _Kita…_ Had Akina attacked her! Just what was going on! Makoto couldn't make his feet move fast enough as he cleared the distance back to the hut in record time. As he came upon the scene all he could see was Kita on her knees and Akina hovering over her, claws drawn back and ready to strike.

"KITAAAA!"

He jumped in front of Akina just in time to block her attack, chunks of silver and black hair fell to the ground and was scattered in the wind. Makoto took a second to make sure Kita was safe before turning back around with fire in his eyes. He didn't even see the fear so apparent on Akina's face. He didn't acknowledge her begging pleas or the fact that his hand was now firmly around her neck, cutting off her supply of oxygen. The only emotion he was able to feel was anger. For some reason he _hated_ this female. Under his hand he could feel her pulse racing. Her hands wrapped around his wrist, desperately trying to loosen his hold. Makoto gave an evil smirk and tightened his grip even more.

He smelled blood. The blood he smelled made him even wilder than his surfacing youkai blood. By this time, his eyes were completely crimson red, purple stripes appeared on his wrist and cheeks, and his nails and fangs lengthened greatly. Rage built up around him as thick as smoke. He heard the figure under his claws gasping and whining. It made his blood boil and his youkai want even more. Then, a pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist.

"Makoto…don't…just don't…" His muscles almost instantly melted under the second female's touch. His grip around the first one loosened and the figure fell to the ground in a series of coughs and gasps. Makoto turned around in the arms encircling him, wrapping his arms around her in turn. He flinched as she winced when he touched a particularly tender spot on her shoulder. Slowly the crimson slipped from his eyes, and the rest of attributes returned to his normal hanyou state, shaking his head as he regained his senses and awareness of what had just taken place.

"Akina, leave. Don't make me say it again. I plan on having a word with Kouga and Kigai as it is and I think after this they'll both see it _my_ way." Makoto stated, still holding Kita close. Akina wasted no time. As soon as she caught her breath she was on her feet and disappeared in a tornado of dust and dirt.

"…I didn't want to fight her."

Makoto sighed and nuzzled her neck. "I know. Don't worry about it, Akina has her own problems she needs to work out."

Kita nodded. "What will happen to her after you tell Kouga?"

"I don't know. There was a pact made a long time ago that involved Kouga's tribe. By attacking you, she broke that pact. This time Kouga will have no choice but to deal with her, and the decision on what happens to her is up to he and Kigai. They're the pack leaders. All I can honestly say is she'll get what's coming to her."

"But Makoto, I don't want her to…"

"Shhh." He silenced her, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. "Akina really crossed the line this time. This fight was between me and her and when she brought you into it that was it. If she wants to bug me, attack me, yell at me; that's fine. I don't care. But she will _not_ threaten you because of the problems she has with me." He smiled down at her. "I care for you too much." Kita ducked her head and blushed with a smile of her own. "Now come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto zipped in and out through the tree lines on the way to Kouga's den, still quite furious with the day's proceedings. It had taken a lot of talking and promises to get Kita to stay behind with Shippou, Tani, Miroku, and Sango. In the end, he had to promise to only tell Kigai what happened and go straight back to the village. No confronting Kouga or Akina. He had unwillingly agreed, and planned beyond a doubt to keep that promise, but he wanted to give Akina more than just a piece of his mind.

After a closer inspection he found that Kita's wounds were not all that bad. Mostly just scratches that would heal before the next day. But her shoulder had a wound that was rather deep, and irritated an older wound in nearly the same place. He wrapped it and gave Miroku specific instructions to care for it. Kagome and InuYasha weren't due back till the next morning, so Makoto had done his best yet again with the healing.

Finally Makoto came into view of the wolves' den. One in particular seemed to remember him, giving Makoto an arrogant smirk before turning his back and walking away. He came back out a few moments later with Kigai following not too far behind. Kigai looked a little less than happy himself.

"I take it this is about my sister's whereabouts?" Makoto nodded, Kigai shook his head and sighed deeply. "Well…follow me. We'll talk." Makoto was led past the other wolves into the den, and then past a curtain made of some kind of animal skins into a make-shift council room. "So what did she do this time? Throw herself at you again?"

"Afraid not, Kigai. It's a bit more serious than that." Kigai shifted uncomfortably and turned his full attention to Makoto. "She attacked Kita, part of my family."

Kigai's eyes went wide before turning to despair. "Did you…you know…?"

"I'd never do that." Makoto replied quickly. By the laws of the land, Makoto had every right to kill Akina on the spot for attacking a member of his family. His family and hers were allies, not adversaries. Though with InuYasha and Kouga that could sometimes be questioned. Kigai gave Makoto a thankful gaze before continuing.

"What about the one she attacked?"

"Fine. Staying with Miroku and the others while I'm gone. Nasty shoulder wound though. Akina shoved a broken piece of bamboo into her scarred shoulder."

"Sorry about that, Makoto. I really am. Make sure Kita receives my apology."

"What about Akina? What will happen to her now?"

Kigai shook his head, rubbing at his temples. "I have no choice. Otou-san and I have got to find her a mate strong enough and with enough patience to control her and her attitude. I hate to do force that on her, but it's for her own good, and more importantly the good of the tribe. It this had happened with any other ally then you we would be in a war by now." Makoto tried to hide his smirk. _Good luck to the poor sap that's chosen to be her mate._ They both stood and bowed.

"I'll send a few of my men to find her as soon as possible and inform Otou-san."

"I've got to head back to the village. I don't like leaving Kita alone for too long. Thanks for everything, Kigai."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sango watched as Kita sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time since Makoto left, a sure sign of her love toward the inu. The girl was laying not too far away, legs crossed in the air and head laying against her crossed arms. Sango was very happy with Makoto's new choice. Akina was too snooty for her own good. She shivered as the sun started going down. The nights were already getting considerably colder.

"Kita, I'm going to go ahead and take the girls inside before it gets too cold. Are you coming?"

Kita turned to her side. "No thank you, Sango-san. I think I'm just going to wait for Makoto out here."

"Alright. You're welcome to come if you change your mind."

Kita watched the older woman as she led the three girls into the hut. Miroku gave her a warm smile before shutting the door behind him. She stood up and started walking. As much as she was getting use to being around humans all the time, she still didn't trust them enough to stay the night so close to the village. She started to walk back to Makoto's hut, but on the way there she stopped on the hilltop overlooking the village. It was covered with eerie orange glows from the warm fires all the families had built in their huts. The sky was mostly dark probably due to the small sliver of moon that was left. The next night would be yet another human night. That thought made Kita's mood drop a few notches. She hated being human almost as much as she hated being under the spell of that inu-youkai.

"What's with the pouting?"

Kita spun around to see Makoto leaning against the tree with a cocky smirk across his face. She could almost swear she saw the stars shimmering in his silver hair; hair that was at the moment cut in gaps thanks to Akina's claws. Kita covered her mouth to hold back her giggles at the sight, but Makoto's questioning glares made her innocent suppressed giggles turn into full blown laughs.

"What!"

Kita shook her head, too busy laughing to tell him the truth. Instead she grabbed his wrist and led him down the hill to the fishing pond. "Go ahead. Look at the reflection."

Makoto narrowed his eyes at Kita before slowly turning and looking into the calm water. It took him a while of looking before realizing what was so funny. His eyes widened and his hands shot up to his head. A small whine escaped his throat as he surveyed the damage. The right side of his head seemed normal enough, silver and black hair flowing down a bit past his shoulders. A bit messy, and in dire need to be washed, but otherwise fine. The left side, however, was gapped all the way up to the top of his neck. He looked ridiculous, like his head was lopsided on his shoulders. He whined again.

"Come here, I think I can do something with it." Makoto plopped down in front of her. Kita smoothed out what was left of his hair to see what could be done. A few minutes later, she sighted in defeat. There wasn't any other thing she could do but cut the rest and even it out. Using her claws as carefully as she could, Kita cut his remaining hair piece by piece. Makoto would wince whenever he caught a glimpse of a particularly large chunk of his hair flying by.

"Augh…are you done yet!"

"Not yet, hold still or it'll be crooked."

"I am being still!"

"Well it's almost finished." A few more snips then… "Done. Go and see how you like it now."

Makoto sighed and walked back to the edge of the water. It…really wasn't all that bad. Short. Shorter than he was use to. Really short. The back of his neck felt completely exposed, as it was exposed. For a while Makoto just stood there, taking in his new reflection. Boy was Shippou, his Oyaji, and Oji-Miroku gonna have fun with this…

"Well?"

"…It's not that bad, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the small spiky hair. He lowered his hand and walked toward Kita with a smirk. She reached up and rubbed his head affectionately, enjoying the feel of his soft hair.

"I like it. Short hair suits you."

"Oh really?" Makoto snaked his arms around Kita's waist, pulling her up against him and rubbing his forehead against hers with a smirk. She instantly leaned back up against him, a look of longing crossing her face. Seeing this, Makoto's smirk grew into a full fledged grin. He moved down and gently brushed his lips against her cheek and nuzzled her. Kita blushed, but didn't pull back or turn away. She wanted this too much to be shy now. Instead she snuggled closer, wrapping her hands around his haori.

Makoto reveled in her boldness and loving attention, continuing his slow torture by dragging his lips across her skin and down to her neck. There he licked and nipped at her pulse point, feeling her heart start racing through his lips. He thought he would never get enough of her soft skin beneath his lips. In one swift movement he was sitting on the grass and pulling her into his lap.

Kita gasped and draped her arms on Makoto's shoulders as he continued attacking her. He moved up, licking her jawbone and kissing and nipping over it. She ran her hand up the back of his neck to run her fingers though his hair. Smirking, Makoto pulled back and looked into Kita's eyes. He tilted her head to the side and captured her lips with his own in their first true kiss. It was long and passionate, completely consumed by the couple who had been waiting for what seemed like forever for that moment.

If all this was a dream, both Makoto and Kita rather sleep through the rest of their lives than wake and be apart from each other. Makoto wanted to show just how much he cared for her in that one kiss, but even that wasn't enough. He released her, shrugging off his haori laying it out behind Kita and placing her on top of it. There he continued with his licks and nips. His hands roamed down her sides and rested on her hips. Kita struggled to keep her sanity as his lips devoured hers over and over. She fought back against him trying to deepen the kiss herself, pulling herself closer until his chest was pressed up against her.

Makoto growled affectionately, nuzzling her cheek before returning to her lips. His sharp fangs nipped gently at her bottom lip. Kita gasped and Makoto used the moment to slip his tongue past her parted lips. If he had ever had a doubt about being with Kita, they were all pushed away. Having her, holding her, kissing her, taking in her scent and taste; it was too right to be wrong. His feelings for her were too strong to just be a fleeting thing. Makoto loved her, cherished the way her face flushed at his touches and teases. When they finally pulled back he licked his lips. Kita snuggled against his chest and sighed.

Makoto wrapped his arms around her protectively and picked her up off his haori, carrying her inside and settling her down on his futon. Kita's eyes were slowly drifting closed, and after a few minutes she was fast asleep. Makoto couldn't help but smile as he listened to her shallow breathing. She was so beautiful, even with her face still tinted pink with her blushes and her hair sprawled out above her. Everything was going to be better with Kita around.

**A/N:**

**Sorry about the grammar in the last chapter and maybe a bit in this chapter. I'll edit it when ever I get the chance.**

**Fluff, fluff, fluff. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**As always…**

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)tsucasa **

**for reviewer points, fanart, links, and more to come!**


	16. Cho The Exterminator

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day. You will all see…he will be mine…MINE….MINE!

**Chapter 16: Cho the Exterminator**

_Giggle._

_Snicker._

_Cackle._

_'Glare'._

_Laughs._

"Alright already! I know, my hair, Ha ha, so funny. Enough is enough!"

"Makoto, I think it looks fine. It's just," giggle, "it's just a bit strange." Kagome suppressed the rest of her giggles but the others gave in. Makoto crossed his arms and flattened his ears to the side of his head to block out the sounds. "Seriously, it'll grow out soon enough anyway."

"Keh. But not before you all have a good laugh at my expense."

"Don't be so sore about it. At least this way maybe you could keep your hair somewhat in order and not all matted down. Maybe I should let Kita give InuYasha a haircut, too." Kagome joked. Shippou, Miroku, and Makoto scooted away from the hanyou.

InuYasha narrowed his eyes at Kagome. "Oi, wench! How about I get my claws to that bird's nest planted on your head!" The three men along with Kita, Tani, and Sango backed away and toward the door.

"Oh InuYasha?" Kagome said in an all too sweet voice. "Sit!"

"Kagomeeee……!" he whined from his position on the ground.

"What do you expect when I can't even get decent shampoo and conditioner! So now I'm suppose to be the perfect mate that takes care of the hut and pups while you're out kami knows where doing kami knows what and still look perfect when you get back!"

"Kagome, you know I didn't…"

"Sit!"

Miroku laughed and pointed down at the fallen hanyou. "InuYasha, my friend, you are indeed what Kagome has termed 'whipped'."

As soon as the spell had worn off Miroku was out the door with the furious inu-hanyou nipping at his heels. "Get back here Miroku! You perverted monk! I swear one more remark like that and I'll castrate you myself!"

"And you call _me_ the perverted one! Besides, my lovely Sango would be furious if you do and you know how she gets when she is angry…"

"At least I'll die happy!"

Kagome and the others watched amused from a safe distance. The little fit ended, of course, with another 'sit' for InuYasha from Kagome and a bash to the head for Miroku courtesy of Sango and the Hiraikotsu.

"They're gonna be mad if you get caught." Hana whispered to her older sister.

"No they're not. Besides, Kirara's gonna come too. Isn't that right, Kirara?" the fire-cat mewed and looked back to where Sango was still yelling over her groaning husband. The youkai defiantly had a bad feeling about what was transpiring.

"Otou-san said you couldn't go anywhere with the boys. They're gonna hunt for youkai and they'll get in trouble, too!" Yumi insisted with an angry pout.

"Great, now Yumi's gonna tell Okaa-san."

"Not if she comes with us."

"You want to bring her along, too?"

"She can't tell Okaa-san if she goes with us, or she'll get in trouble too. I'm old enough to hunt youkai anyway. Okaa said she was your age when she started." Cho put Kirara on the ground and motioned for her sisters to follow her. "Come on Kirara! The boys won't wait long." Cho and the others made a quick stop by their hut and Cho picked up her mother's weapon, the Hiraikotsu, and tossed it heavily across her shoulder.

"Where have you been, Cho? I almost thought you had chickened out on us." A boy around seventeen was leaning against a tree with a half-smile across his face and his arms by his side. Two other boys around the same age turned around and walked up next to him.

"I told you I would be here, didn't I Kanaye?"

"And what's with the brats? Did you have to bring them along?"

"Hey!"

"Hush, Hana. I told her she could come as long as she stays out of our way. And Yumi would be a tattle-tail if we didn't bring her along, too. Now, are we going to do this or not?"

Kanaye smirked and led the way through the forest. "Otou-san said there was a bunch of serpent-youkai lurking near the village. Big, poisonous ones with big fangs and red eyes. You girls better just stay back and let us handle them."

Cho narrowed her eyes. "I can handle myself and my sisters, thank you very much. I'm a lot better than Senichi and Takai, anyway. My Okaa-san _was_ a youkai exterminator after all."

"That doesn't mean you are. I bet you haven't even trained with that hunk of bone, much less know how to use it!"

"I do too! And I'll show you!" Cho stormed ahead of the boys, lugging the heavy weapon behind her. Hana and Yumi followed reluctantly behind her.

Shippou shook his head and also followed from a greater distance, but still close enough in case they needed his help. While the others were too busy trying too kill each other, he noticed the whispering youths and eavesdropped in on the conversation. Cho was always a headstrong female, just like Sango. And she had trained with the Hiraikotsu, but still had yet to master the finer points, and still had a few problems with the weight. Mai was never much of a warrior, at it seemed neither were Hana and Yumi, but Cho had the warriors spirit. She always trained hard.

Shippou knew that Sango and Miroku were being overprotective of Cho when they refused to let her go on youkai hunting missions with them, they had reason to be. But he knew she had what it would take, if only given the chance. That's what brought him to his current position, following a bunch of 'kids' through the forest to make sure they didn't get themselves hurt.

"And how exactly are _you_ going to track them down?" Kanaye asked, sneaking up behind the girls.

Hana and Yumi jumped. "That's what Kirara's here for. Her senses can pick up any youkai near here." Cho looked down at the fire-cat at her feet. "Got anything yet?" Kirara mewed back at her at ran to the right. The young group followed close behind Kirara. After a few minutes passed the cat stopped, sat down, looked up at Cho, and mewed. "Good girl Kirara." Cho looked to the others. "Hana, Yumi, find a place out of the way and stay there. As for you guys, try to keep up."

Shippou smirked. _She_ was telling _them_ to keep up! It took all he had to keep himself from laughing. But there was no time for that now, those kids were getting into more trouble then they had bargained for. Kirara had led them to the snake youkai alright, right into a whole nest of them. It was only a matter a time before dozens of them would come crawling out of the ground. Senichi and Takai

"Where are they, Kirara?" Kirara sniffed at the ground, following a trail. She came to a small hole in the ground and started pawing at the dirt. "Senichi, Takai, you two take the sides. Kanaye will take the back and I'll be in front. Attack as soon as you see one of them."

Hana and Yumi hid behind the foliage to keep out of danger. Shippou wasn't too far away, settled in a tree where he could easily jump down if anything were to go wrong. Unsteadily, mind you, he still isn't as fond of trees as InuYasha or Makoto.

A scream came from one of the boys and Shippou focused back into the present. Senichi was lying out on the ground, grasping and pulling on the object holding his leg. One of the youkai finally came out, just a baby, and had wrapped itself around the boy's ankle. In an instant he had dropped the sword he had been wielding and started trying to unravel the creature. Kirara growled, leaping from her place at the hole to Senichi's side. She grasped the youkai between her teeth and yanked the creature away.

The snake was thrown and landed with a loud hiss. Suddenly that small section of the forest was filled with a loud hissing coming from all directions. Shippou had been afraid of this. Once one came out of the nest, they would all come out, and he was right. Before the kids could grasp their current situation, dozens of the baby youkai came from all directions. Cho swung the Hiraikotsu low to the ground, taking out a few of the creatures. Kirara transformed and gnashed at the bombardment of snakes attacking her. The boys were so far holding their own with their swords, but more and more youkai were pouring out from the nest.

A particularly big snake youkai, around nine feet long with four inches worth of fangs propped itself eye level with Cho and hissed, flicking out its tongue at the girl and swung around its hook ended tail. She pulled the Hiraikotsu out in front of her to block the attack, grabbing hold of the leather straps and flinging it toward the youkai, sucessfully making contact with the youkai and slicing it in half. Cho caught the Hiraikotsu on its return trip and threw it behind Kanaye to kill the snake lurking around his feet.

He turned just as Cho was catching the weapon and gave her a questioning look. She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. He smirked back. Shippou looked between the two and rolled his eyes. Miroku wasn't gonna like that little interaction one bit. He turned to make sure Hana and Yumi were still safe and out of the way. Kirara was now pacing in front of their hiding place and killing any of the snakes that strayed too near. Sometimes Shippou thought that fire-cat was smarter and more aware of things than she let on.

For awhile it seemed like the kids were going to succeed, until one high pitched hiss sent all the babies back to their underground nest and the group to their knees covering their ears. Kirara growled and pawed at her own more sensitive ears. Shippou shifted uneasily on his branch. Things were gonna get a bit tougher, more dangerous, now that the mother was showing up. He couldn't risk it any longer, jumping from the branch and landing behind Hana and Yumi.

"Shippou!" Yumi yelled, wrapping her arms around the kitsune's neck as tightly as she could. Hana, Cho, and the boys turned around and flinched.

"Alright, guys. You've had enough, now get out of here before the mother shows up. I'll take care of things here while all of you get back to the village." Senichi, Takai, Hana, and Yumi nodded and all but flew back toward the village, Kirara following to make sure they all got back safe.

"I can't go yet, Shippou! I want to do this. I _can_ do this." Cho covered one of his hands with her own, dropping her weapon to the side. "Please let me do this. Kanaye and I have been training. Please?"

Shippou put on a stern face and crossed his arms, completely intending on saying 'no'. One look at her hopeful gaze and he sighed, slumping his shoulders and shaking his head. "Miroku's gonna have my hide for this you know." Cho squealed and hugged Shippou, jumping up and down. "You better pick that up and get ready if you seriously want to do this."

Cho hardened her features and picked up the Hiraikotsu, slinging back over her shoulder and joining Kanaye who held his sword out in front of him. In the distance they could here a hissing shriek as the creature got closer and closer. Then there was the sound of groaning trees and rustling bushes as the creature grew yet even closer to the two.

"Hiraikotsu!" Cho threw the heavy weapon to the sound of the noise, receiving a sheik in return and catching the leather straps just as the youkai came into view. It loomed way over the youths' heads, deadly fangs dripping with acidic venom that made the ground below sizzle. Shippou gulped and stepped back out of the way. If that girl got hurt in the least it would be a battle between Sango and Miroku to see if he was either killed by sutras or Hiraikotsu. Pft. Forget Sango and Miroku, not to mention the others, Tani, a simple human, would do much worse than any monk, or miko, hanyou, or youkai exterminator could ever do.

Kanaye was the first to charge after the youkai, holding his sword parallel to his body, hitting the underside of the snake with a loud metallic clang. The sword bounced off without so much as a tickle to the youkai. Stunned, the boy didn't notice the snake's hooked tail as it flew toward him, but luckily Cho did. She whirled the boomerang around and it easily blocked the razor sharp hook from removing Kanaye's head from his shoulders. Kanaye gave a quick smirk and nod to Cho, quickly gaining his footing and backing away from the youkai.

"It's scales are too thick, my sword can't get through."

"Then we'll have to find another way. The Hiraikotsu can block attacks against it but not much else."

"Check around, look for any weaknesses."

"Right."

Cho took careful glances as she avoided attacks from the youkai and dished out her own attacks. The snake's body was covered with those scales! How can you defeat a youkai that was covered with impenetrable armor?

"Cho! The mouth! It's that snake's only weakness!" Kanaye yelled, his sword being flailed around in the youkai's mouth as it tossed its head. The sword finally loosened and landed in the brush.

"Get your sword! I'll distract it." Cho ran up behind the youkai and pinned down its tail with the giant boomerang. The youkai hissed and turned its head, the acid venom still seeping from its fangs, dead set right on Cho. She rolled to the side to avoid one of its fangs. It attacked again and she rolled to the other side.

"I got 'em!" Kanaye had his sword in hand, sticking into the mouth of the youkai and Kanaye plunging it even deeper. A drop of venom seeped into his shoulder and he released the sword with a scream. Cho signaled him to move out of the way, aiming at the sword's handle before throwing the Hiraikotsu. Her aim was right on, one end of the boomerang hit the sword's hilt and shoved it into the back of the youkai's mouth. For a few seconds Shippou, Cho, and Kanaye wondered if it had worked. The snake youkai staggered, swaying from side to side before finally crashing to the ground.

Shippou ran out, picking the girl up off her feet in his arms in a big bear-hug. "You were great, Cho! I can't believe you actually did it!"

"Come on Shippou, I thought you had more faith in me than that." She teased.

"Any way about it, you better get back to the village for damage control. I doubt Hana and Yumi can keep silent for very long."

Cho nodded and turned to check on Kanaye. His shoulder was a little burned, but nothing too serious. "Let's get back to the village and get you to Oba-Kagome."

**A/N:**

**:yawns: sleeeeppp….. needddd……**

**Truth be told, the last three chapters were add-ins. Didn't plan them at all. XDD I felt like I was kinda neglecting Sango and Miroku's kids.**

**Anyway…the next few chapters are big ones, back to the real subject.**

**As always:**

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki (underscore) tsucasa**

**for fanart, points, links, yadda yadda. Any idea's for more, sign the guest book or e-mail me.**

**Gomennasai for being so late with all these chappies. New chap will be out in two-three days tops…unless something happens…. **


	17. Sweet Baby of Mine Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 17: Sweet Baby of Mine Part I**

"But Sango, dearest, would you really wish something like that on your dear husband? I mean, InuYasha is a great friend and all, but when you step in between him and Kagome, and all other friendly connections are lost." Miroku held his staff with unsteady hands as he pleaded with Sango for his very life.

"Miroku, he's not going to kill you." Sango herself looked about ready to bust a vein. "Kagome wants some girl time, and that's what she's going to get. Having you pathetic excuses for men lolling around all day, acting like we can't do **anything** for ourselves, WE NEED TIME ALONE TOO!"

"But Sango…" he continued to whine.

"Just keep him busy for the next couple of hours. Makoto and Shippou are going to help you so it's not like you're going to be in on it all alone. Please?"

After a bit of trouble, taken care of by Kagome's 'sit' command; Sango, Kagome, Kita, Mai, and Tani were lazily sitting in the open meadow overlooking the village while Miroku, Makoto, and Shippou watched a very worried hanyou pace the floor of the hut while the kids played outside with Kirara.

"Still, not much is known about hanyou pregnancies. I don't know what's normal or what's not. You just have to go day by day to find out." Kagome rubbed her belly.

"I'm a bit scared, and though he doesn't want to admit it, I think Shippou is too. What if I'm not a good mother? I know he'll make a great father, but…"

"But nothing." Kagome smiled. "The first one is the experiment," she said slyly, "that's why you have more. After that you know what to do and what not to do." Kita and Tani looked horrified before both Sango and Kagome fell over laughing, realizing it was just a joke. "You'll know what to do when the time comes."

"It'll be easier on you than it was for Kagome and me, anyway. We didn't know the first thing about raising children, and our mothers weren't around anymore to help us. Keade helped as much as she could, but there's nothing like having someone with first hand experience there to guide you." Sango and Kagome looked at each other with small grins. Sango had lost her mother when she was still young, and Kagome of course lost hers when the well was sealed so many years ago. Keade had left them shortly after the birth of Sango's third baby. They remember the sadness of that night. She and Kagome had cried all that afternoon. Shippou had been extremely emotional, losing yet anther family member. Miroku took charge of the ceremony, though he wasn't an official monk anymore. InuYasha… he had his own way of dealing with the loss, just as he always had.

"I've never heard you talk of your mother, Kagome." Tani broke the two from their thoughts.

"Well, she always had a knack for knowing things about me that I had yet to figure out myself. She was the only one who could ever keep Grandpa in line. I swear if it wasn't for her I'd be sitting at home covered with imp's claws and ofuda and kami knows what else hanging from around my neck." She laughed. "Grandpa was always worried when I left. Him and mama and Souta. He'd be so grown up now. Off to college, no doubt, unless gramps finally talked him into becoming a priest, which I highly doubt. Souta was never fooled by gamps' gibberish either, and mama would just ignore it like the rest of us."

"Kohaku would be around the same age." Sango spoke up with a slight frown. "I still don't know what ever happened to him, but I guess we all really know. When we killed Naraku, he had most of the jewels, and apparently the one that belonged to my brother."

"Oh, Sango, Kagome… both of you have been through so much. How can you go on after losing so much?" Tani's eyes started to tear and Mai placed a hand on her mother's shoulder, but the two women smiled.

"Time goes by, and you still have memories of brighter days." Sango replied.

"You realize you still have people who love you, and even if they're not your real family, they're there for you just the same."

"Miroku, though a little careless at times, always has the right words to say."

"And though InuYasha isn't that good with words, he expresses himself in actions and looks."

"But it's never one sided. Miroku had lost loved ones, too. And sometimes he's still afraid the wind tunnel will return."

"InuYasha always fears his youkai blood will take control again, and though he would deny it, I can tell he still thinks of his mother from time to time. Tani, Mai, Kita…" she took time to look all three directly in the eyes as she called their names. "You have found the ones you are happy with. If you're already having pups, or just getting use to marriage, or just starting out, you know he's the one because you couldn't have it any other way."

"It's just…right." All five girls smiled, lost in their own thoughts.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starved!" Kagome broke the silence opening the basket they had brought with them and started pulling out the food. She and Tani were the first ones to dig in, the others being kind enough to let the pregnant ladies to go first, or were too scared of pulling back with missing fingers. Especially with Kagome, who grew to having InuYasha's appetite plus some with the twins.

"Augh. I think I ate too much." Kagome leaned back in the grass holding and patting her stomach. "If I get any bigger InuYasha will just have to roll me around. And if they keep kicking I'm not going to have a kidney or a bladder."

"You have to go again?"

"Yep." She sat up with the help of Sango and Tani and was led off to her hut.

"So Kita, you plan on sticking around for awhile?" Mai questioned when the two were alone.

"I guess. I don't really have anywhere else to go. Besides, I really like it here. Even the humans in the village don't really seem to mind too much."

Mai laughed. "They have no reason to. InuYasha and Makoto have protected the village from youkai for years. Makoto's a great guy, you know. He can be a big pain sometimes, but what little cousin isn't? And he's fallen for you big time." She winked.

"How do you know?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? He wants you to stay here, he's said that enough. All he does is think about you. And you know what? I think he's lucky to have found you. He wasn't so lucky in the past, but now I think he's finally found the right one, if you give him a chance." Kita blushed and returned to her thoughts, but was momentarily interrupted by Sango's yells from the path.

"Kita! Mai! Kagome's having the babies!"

"Should I go get InuYasha?"

"No, I sent Tani back to get them already. I'll need you Kita, and Mai to help me so step on it!"

Inside the hut Kita's senses where going off the wall. The smells and sounds were all new to her. Mai busied herself with gathering clean cloths and filling a bowl of water to place beside Kagome, who was settled on her futon breathing strangely. Sango was propping her legs up on the fluffy pillows at the foot of the futon while barking out orders out to Mai.

"Sango, this one's coming fast. Where's InuYasha?"

"He's coming, Kagome. He'll be right outside the door waiting on you."

"I need him here now…"

"Kagome!" InuYasha burst through the door and ran straight past Kita and right by his mate's side, instantly grabbing hold of her hand. "I'm here, Kagome."

"InuYasha."

"Keh." He grinned. "What did I tell you wench? As soon as you're out of my sight you go into labor. Next time we do this my way." Kagome nodded absentmindedly and held onto InuYasha's hand for dear life as she was hit with another wave of pain.

"Okaa?" Makoto and Shippou stepped in.

"She's fine. Wait outside." They obeyed InuYasha's orders and slowly walked back out. Makoto glanced at Kita and nodded before disappearing out the door.

"You're going to have to leave now, too InuYasha." InuYasha nodded and pulled Sango to the side to whisper. "It's not time yet. The pups still have three more weeks."

"Sometimes babies come early, InuYasha. It's perfectly natural."

He shook his head. "Not for youkai pups. It's important that they come to full term. Human's grow slower, but have plenty of time for it. Youkai grow fast, and in a short amount of time. Three weeks might as well be three months to some."

Sango nodded. "I'll do what I can InuYasha." He turned around and left silently. Now with the men safely outside, Sango turned her attention back to Kagome and the babies. A few hours later her contractions were only five minutes apart, and becoming much more intense. Sango and the others started to get more and more worried as seconds passed and the babies showed no move to come out, until finally…

"Here's the first one Kagome, one more push!" Kagome strained and pushed with all her might, a soft cry became her reward. "It's a little boy, Kagome, and he's a cute one." Sango wiped the crying infant clean and wrapped him in a blanket, handing the bundle to Kita. The she-wolf in turn tilted the pup toward Kagome, allowing her to see her new little boy for the first time. He had his eyes squeezed shut and his face was beet-red from his wailing. Sango was happy to see the first baby was healthy, despite InuYasha's worried remarks from earlier. Ten fingers, ten toes, two fuzzy ears, and lungs that will probably be driving them all insane in the upcoming months to come.

"Shhh, Okaa's here." Kagome cooed. The pup flicked his ears toward her and his cries died down to short sobs.

"Take him to InuYasha, the next one is coming already." Kita obeyed and returned shortly. Kagome was on the verge of screaming again, Mai wiping the sweat off her forehead with a cooled cloth and Sango coaching her on. Then Sango became tense. "Kagome, you are going to have to push as hard as you can. The baby has to come out now." She tried to keep her voice calm.

"Sango, what's wrong?"

"I see the baby's feet, it's coming backwards. I know you're tired Kagome, but you're gonna have to push with everything you've got." Kagome nodded. "On the count of three, One,… two,… three!" Kagome pushed with every ounce of strength she had left. "Harder Kagome! It's coming!"

"I…I can't, Sango…"

"You have to Kagome, or the baby is going to die!" Sango didn't want to mention it, but she was getting desperate. For every second the baby was stuck, that was another second it was without being able to breathe. Agonizing minutes passed, still with no further progress. Sango was getting worried. Kagome was getting weaker by the moment. She had turned pale and was soaked in sweat. She kept Mai and Kita on either side of Kagome to wipe away the perspiration and make sure she didn't pass out before the baby was born. Then with one final push and a scream the little girl fell into Sango's arms. Kagome took a deep breath, thankful that it was finally over, but her joy was short-lived. She struggled to sit up only to be held down by Mai and Kita's gentle hands.

"Sango, why isn't she crying?" she croaked out.

"She's not breathing, Kagome. Wh-what do I do?"

Kagome sobbed but forced herself to calm enough to answer. "Use two fingers, massage just above her heart. Alternate that and gently blowing into her mouth with her nose pinched shut." Another few minutes passed by with no change in the pup. Tani stroked Kagome's hair, while Mai squeezed her hand. Kita couldn't do anything. She was frozen to the spot. Had she just witnessed the death of an innocent newborn pup? The smell was covered by blood, and sweat, and all the upset and tears from the others in the room. Sango sighed and covered the little girl with a blanket. Kita patted Kagome gently on the shoulder as the miko wailed out her sorrow.

"S…Sango?" Sango looked up to see InuYasha staring down at her with the other pup tucked safely in his arms. His ears were completely flattened on top of his head as he walked into the room. "Sango…what's wrong with Kagome? Is the pup alright?"

"It…it's a girl." Sango gave a weak smile as Kagome's sobs continued. "She…didn't make it."

**A/N:**

**OMG…I can't believe I just did that…I killed one of the pups… TT**

**Don't kill me…I have to finish the rest of the story first…**

**www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki (underscore) tsucasa**

**go there for fanart, reviewer points, ect… ect…**

**:groans: …and someone keep InuYasha from killing me. I think he hates me now. TT**


	18. Sweet Baby of Mine Part II

.Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 18: Sweet Baby of Mine Part II**

"That stupid, pathetic human, little wench!" InuYasha mumbled, digging himself out of the hole he had dug himself into and taking the time to send an evil glare in the direction his mate had stomped off while dusting off his kimono. "Promise me she'd say in bed. Keh. Yea, right. 'Just a little walk' she says. 'The others will be with me' she says. KEH! Does whatever she wants whenever she wants. KEH!"

"I did warn you, InuYasha. But no, big hanyou has to go have his say in it, and get me into trouble too." Miroku sat rubbing his red cheek.

"I didn't tell you to grope Sango, you hentai!"

"But you did tell me to keep the other ladies out of it, so I assumed you meant by any means necessary." Miroku growled back. He stood up and straightened his robes. "Now, unless you have any more bright ideas, I am going back to the hut with what little dignity I have left and calmly wait for Sango's return."

Back in the hut, Makoto and Shippou didn't even have to ask what had happened. The look on both InuYasha and Miroku's faces said it all. InuYasha sat himself in his usual corner and proceeded in his mumblings and pouts. Makoto, Shippou, and Miroku listened to InuYasha's mumbling for the better half of an hour before the three tired of his griping and walked outside with the girls. Miroku entertained himself by riding little Yumi on his shoulders and dragging Hana on one of his legs. Cho sat next to the hut rubbing Kirara's ears. With the lecher busy, Shippou and Makoto sat down in the grass and laid back.

It wasn't long before Shippou noticed the smirk across his brother's face, and with little thought, knew exactly what was going through his head. "You really like this one, don't you?"

"Hm?"

"The girl, Kita."

Makoto glared. "Don't start that again, it's none of your business!"

"I'm not looking to argue, it's just a simple question that only needs a simple answer."

Makoto continued his glare, but his features softened. "So what if I do? She's staying here, so we'll have plenty of time to worry about it."

Shippou grinned. "She is pretty, and nice."

"I know." Makoto agreed with a lopsided smirk.

"Keh. Let's get one thing straight, pup. If you're thinking what I think you're thinking…well then…just don't think it." InuYasha sat across from his boys in his signature crossed legs/crossed arms position.

"Oyaji…" Makoto called angrily.

"Shut-up and listen, Makoto. That little she-wolf has been through more then you can ever imagine. She's scared, confused, and it's true you help her. **But**, she's not ready for anything like that, not now. Give her time to heal, get use to being here. The last thing she needs if for you to confuse her more." He looked up to be greeted by three sets of blank stares. "…what?"

"Well, InuYasha, it seems you have finally gained some wisdom from staying by my side all these years." Miroku replied patting him on the back. "Though spoken in your own way, of course."

InuYasha growled and let off a loose punch toward Miroku, which was easily dodged. "I don't know what you're talking about monk."

"InuYasha-sama!" Tani fell to her knees panting. Shippou rushed over and grabbed her by the shoulders. "InuYa-sha…" she said between deep breaths, "-gome, pups, NOW!" All sets of eyes were now focused on him. He felt as if a rock had just been dropped into the pit of his stomach.

"Where is she?" he asked forcefully.

"Sango…village…hut…" the human gasped out.

InuYasha and Makoto dashed through the air with all the speed they could muster toward Miroku and Sango's hut in the village. Shippou lifted Tani onto his back and soon followed, leaving Miroku and his girls bringing up the rear on Kirara. _It's too early, the pups still have at least three weeks to go…they can't come now! _InuYasha thought as his speed increased. No matter how fast he was traveling, he couldn't move fast enough to satisfy his rush. Finally the hut was in his sight.

"Kagome!" InuYasha burst through the door and ran straight past Kita and right by his mate's side, instantly grabbing hold of her hand. "I'm here, Kagome." He gazed down at her. She was already starting to sweat, and in terrible pain already. Then reality hit him. The pups were coming, whether they were ready or not.

"InuYasha." Kagome seemed to sigh his name in relief.

"Keh." He grinned. "What did I tell you wench? As soon as you're out of my sight you go into labor. Next time we do this my way." Kagome nodded absentmindedly and held onto InuYasha's hand for dear life as she was hit with another wave of pain. It took all InuYasha had to hold in his whimper.

"Okaa?" Makoto and Shippou stepped in.

"She's fine. Wait outside." They obeyed InuYasha's orders and slowly walked back out. Makoto glanced at Kita and nodded before disappearing out the door.

"You're going to have to leave now, too InuYasha." InuYasha thought about telling the exterminator off for trying to make him leave, but instead nodded and pulled Sango to the side to whisper.

"It's not time yet. The pups still have three more weeks."

"Sometimes babies come early, InuYasha. It's perfectly natural."

He shook his head. "Not for youkai pups. It's important that they come to full term. Human's grow slower, but have plenty of time for it. Youkai grow fast, and in a short amount of time. Three weeks might as well be three months."

Sango nodded. "I'll do what I can InuYasha." He turned around and left silently, glancing back for one last look at Kagome. Outside villagers had already started to gather, whispering among themselves. Makoto and Shippou stood worriedly leaning against the wall of the hut. Shippou's tail was swishing and flicking nervously, Makoto's ears flat and twitching. Miroku had just arrived and was already pulling out ofuda and sticking them to the hut. InuYasha would have smirked at the large pile of the spiritual papers the ex-monk had brought with him, if he wasn't so worried about Kagome.

He sighed, picking a nice spot right next to the door and sat down, keeping his ears tuned in to everything going on inside the hut. There was a bunch of scurrying around by the other women in the hut. His heart ached every time Kagome was hit with another contraction, so in tune with her he could almost feel the pain himself. He stood up and started pacing. It was taking too long. InuYasha was never really that patient of a guy, and when he was worried he was even less so.

Makoto and Shippou followed InuYasha's pacing with their eyes, watching him walk back and forth, stopping every once in awhile to glance back at the door which was now covered from top to bottom with Miroku's ofuda. Yumi had already gotten bored and had fallen asleep lying against Kirara. Cho and Hana were waiting quietly, plucking up pieces of grass from the ground and throwing them into the wind.

An hour passed. Then two. InuYasha had already worn a path in the dirt from his pacing. Occasionally he would stop, turn to face the doorway, sigh, and go back to his pacing. Miroku had already put up a second layer of ofuda for the hanyou's nerves. If Sango had been outside to see the papers stuck to the outside of her hut, she would have strangled both of them. Another hour passed.

"What's taking so long! I thought it was supposed to get easier!" InuYasha grumbled. _This can't be good, this can't be good, this CAN'T be good…_ His mind kept telling him as he continued his pacing. The others could only look on at the hanyou who could only be described as a nervous wreck.

Finally two hanyou and a youkai jumped at the sound of crying from the hut. InuYasha's eyes were glued to the door fixture, ears standing up on end listening to every sound. The crying stopped, and out walked the she-wolf with a little pup wrapped in a blanket. "It's a boy."

InuYasha just gulped as he nodded and stared at his new son. He slowly reached out his arms and took the pup. With amazing gentleness he tucked the pup in the crook of his arms and smirked. The pup looked back at him through golden eyes and yawned, showing off his small fangs. He seemed to look around at his new surroundings with great interest, mainly at InuYasha and Makoto, who were instantly registered as family to the pup's senses. He squirmed a bit, however, when his gaze landed on the others. He let out a soft whimper and turned back to InuYasha.

"Oi. What are you looking at, huh?" he smirked. He sighed in deep relief. The pup's heartbeat, his breathing, his senses, they were all working and steady. It seemed like being born early wasn't going to affect the pups, just as Sango had said. But there was still one more pup to go. The boy in his arms gurgled for attention, which InuYasha was more than happy to do. He leaded over and nuzzled his son's nose with his own, running a gentle claw over the pups head in his black hair and across his silver ears.

"Oyaji…?" Makoto questioned, taking a step forward. InuYasha nodded and tilted his arms for everyone else to see. "He's so small." He awed over the pup. The pup gazed at him a bit longer before turning his head into InuYasha's kimono, gripping the cloth with his tiny fists, and closed his eyes with another yawn.

With the pup nestled safely in his arms, InuYasha settled back down in front of the hut and once again tuned his senses to the events going on inside. A wave of desperation and anxiety hit him full force as his hanyou senses wrapped around his mate. Something wasn't right… something was going on. InuYasha listened in, but everyone was quiet inside. Minutes passed, and only a few whimpers and coachings were heard from the room. His and Makoto's ears flattened when Kagome let out the worst scream yet. And then, everything was quiet again.

The words that InuYasha heard next froze him to the spot. His pup wasn't breathing. Sango was trying to make it wake up, with Kagome telling her how, but his pup wasn't breathing. He snuggled the other closer to his chest, ignoring the fearful looks from Makoto and Shippou who had also heard the conversation going on inside. Shippou sighed heavily and walked over to Miroku, whispering. Miroku's eyes lit up before he too was gazing at InuYasha with sadness. Then they all heard the saddest wail they had ever heard coming from Kagome inside. InuYasha forced himself to enter the hut.

"S…Sango?" Sango looked up to see InuYasha staring down at her with the other pup tucked safely in his arms. His ears were completely flattened on top of his head as he walked into the room. "Sango…what's wrong with Kagome? Is the pup alright?"

"It…it's a girl." Sango gave a weak smile as Kagome's sobs continued. "She…didn't make it."

InuYasha handed the boy-pup gently to his mother, kissing both lovingly on the forehead, and picked up the other pup from Sango's arms. "Show me how." He indicated to the exterminator.

"InuYasha, I don't think…"

"Show me how!" his voice cracked. He wasn't ready to give up his pup just yet. Sango had tried, but maybe it would be different for him. Maybe he could still save his pup. The exterminator sighed and showed him exactly how Kagome told her to breathe into the pup's mouth. It could have been minutes, hours, days even, but InuYasha didn't care. The pup in Kagome's arms had awakened and started to cry and whine, feeling the upset and tension lingering thick in the room from his family. Kagome was cradling him tight against her, shushing him and whispering softly into his ears. Sango, Kita, Mai, and Tani looked helplessly on as the hanyou tried desperately to bring his pup back to life.

How could this happen? After he had worked so hard to protect his family, now this was happening. He was losing his little girl. An innocent, beautiful little girl. So weak and frail-looking. Didn't even have a chance to take her first breath. He couldn't even protect her… No. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't let it happen to his pup, he couldn't let it happen to him, and he couldn't let it happen to Kagome. He doubled his effort. Breathing into the pup's mouth and gently pumping at its heart. The pup's hands were getting colder and colder, as she was slowly slipping away.

"Come on, baby girl," he breathed into her mouth, "wake up. We want to see what color those eyes are, but you have to open them yourself…WAKE UP!"

By this time Shippou, Makoto, and Miroku had silently stepped in to offer as much support as they could. At the sight of InuYasha franticly working on the pup, the hut became really gloomy, really fast. Now, during the many years Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Kagome had known InuYasha most of them had only seen him cry once, and then shedding only a few tears. That was nothing compared to the sadness in the hanyou's eyes when he had finally seemed to start accepting the reality of the situation. He was letting the tears fall freely, Makoto didn't even think he realized they were there.

Slowly he stood from his position on the floor, the pup limp and growing cold in his arms. For a few seconds it seemed like he didn't know what to do. He walked toward the others, opened his mouth as if to speak, then turned back around without a word said. He walked over to his corner and fell to his knees. The others looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do. All eyes were on the inu-hanyou and his pup.

InuYasha threw his head back and let out a cry that seem to be a cross between a growl and a howl. Anguish. That's the only word the others could think of to describe the sound. Complete anguish from loosing a child that had yet to begin to live. Anguish from the father, who had already lost so much. Anguish from the mother, who should never have to burry her own child. Anguish from the brothers, not about to stand seeing their so strong of parents broken. Anguish from the friends, who could only hope that one day they could all be happy again.

Makoto couldn't take it anymore. He sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, storming out the door as quickly as his legs could carry him. Kita bowed to the others and followed silently behind. Miroku and Sango looked at each other just before Sango leaped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Miroku in turn pulled her even closer, putting his lips close to her ear and whispering to her gently. Tani had her back turned to the scene, one had on her stomach, the other tightly grasping Shippou's haori, her face buried in the cloth as she sobbed.

Kagome set the now sleeping baby boy into the prepared basket beside her. "InuYasha… I want to hold her, please?"

**A/N:**

**:Ducks and hides:**

**I know, I know. TWO angsty chapters in a row… I'm a bad Inu fan… TT**

**This was supposed to be the last part of "Sweet Baby of Mine", but… I guess I'm not ready to let go yet. Gotta give my characters a bit more time, a few more things need to be said and done.**

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	19. Sweet Baby of Mine Part III

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 19: Sweet Baby of Mine Part III**

Makoto left the hut, letting the reed door cover fall behind him, and headed for the only place he could think of: Goshinboku. He jumped into one of the lower branches, lying on his back with his arms crossed behind his head, and sighed. He could already feel the magic of that old tree trying to comfort him, like always, and it helped a bit; but this…_this_ wasn't going to be going away anytime soon.

It wasn't just the thought of his baby sister being dead…it was also his Oyaji and Okaa. His Okaa…who always helped anyone who came to her, who worked for the villagers all day everyday until InuYasha would drag her home, his Okaa… didn't deserve this. No woman as gentle and kind as Kagome should have to burry a child.

Then there was his Oyaji. Overbearing, egotistical, stubborn; loving, caring, protective InuYasha. He always managed to keep most of his emotions as still as stone. That cry…that despairing, howling cry…it was still ringing in Makoto's ears. Makoto had no doubt that everyone in the room felt at least some of InuYasha's pain by just hearing that howl. That's why he ran. That's why Makoto just couldn't take being anywhere near the hut right now. His parents' hearts were breaking, and he couldn't bear it.

Makoto also knew that there was Shippou, and the other pup to worry about. He had run off on them, too. Shippou had lost his real parents when he was still small. Losing another family member had to be hard on him. And he just left them all behind, shoving everyone else away when he probably needed them, too. He let out another heavy sigh.

"Makoto?" Kita's voice was gentle and soft. She stood under the tree looking up; her fingers fiddling with the helm of her kimono. Makoto didn't answer, but his ears swiveled around toward her. "I-I'm sorry, Makoto. I'm sorry for what happened." She turned around, her eyes falling to the ground. "I just wish…there was something I could do." There was a swift breeze and the rustling of leaves, then Kita felt Makoto's presence behind her.

"There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do, and that's the whole problem! It's completely HOPELESS!"

"No, it's not." Kita turned to face him, still talking in a gentle, soothing voice. "Nothing is ever hopeless, Makoto. The only reason I'm alive…the only reason I didn't kill myself under that youkai's control, was because I still had hope. I had hope that one day, things would get better. I knew nothing about my past would change. I knew there would be things I've done that I'll have to reconcile for, if it was my fault or not. It hurts, I know, to feel useless, especially in a situation like this; but never say it's hopeless."

"Kita…" without warning, Makoto flung his arms around her and held her tight. A few tears he couldn't hold back any longer wet his cheeks. He stood there for what seemed like hours, just holding her. Kita had no intention of letting him go anytime soon. It was just as much of a comfort to her as it was to Makoto.

Kita's ears perked up. "Makoto…do you sense that?"

Makoto pulled back and nodded. "It's Okaa-san's barrier. But she's not supposed to be using her powers, and why would she put up a barrier?"

"I think we need to get back."

"Yea."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagome watched the proceedings in the small room of the hut. InuYasha, still with the girl-pup in his hands, crying out loud. Sango and Miroku… Shippou and Tani and their unborn kit… Makoto storming out the door with Kita following not too far behind. Her head was swimming, taking in too much all at once. She looked to the little boy in her arms. His eyebrows were furrowed and his little hands in tight fists. He was sleeping, but uneasily. Being so young, could he still sense the absence of his sister? Was he, somehow, also afraid of what was to come? It wasn't fair. None of it. Her baby… her pup…dead? There had to be more that someone could do. Kagome set the now sleeping baby boy into the prepared basket beside her. "InuYasha… I want to hold her, please?"

InuYasha let out a heavy sigh, and with downcast eyes sat beside Kagome and gave her the pup.

"Oyaji…there has to be something we can do! Take her to Sesshomaru, he can save her!" Shippou cried out. For a moment the gloom seemed to lighten, until InuYasha's words rang true.

"Baka…don't you think I've already thought of that! There's no time, by the time it would take to get there her soul would already be taken."

Kagome turned her attention from the others around her to the girl in her arms. Silver. Her hair was nearly pure silver, with the exception of a black streak on her left ear. The boy was the opposite, completely black hair with a single silver streak on his right ear. She looked so much like InuYasha. She ran her fingers through the pup's soft hair. Then, she sensed something, coming from the pup in her arms. Kagome knew she wasn't supposed to use her miko powers, but maybe if she just tapped into them a bit…

She allowed herself to sense the auras around her, ignoring the blues, reds, and purples of her friends and family; stopping a moment to admire the pure-white aura only a newborn could have. Then she turned her attention back to the girl-pup. Her aura was a hazy gray, quickly darkening to the black of death. How could something so pure, so innocent, appear like this in their aura, their life-energy?

It hit her, and it hit her hard; a way to save her pup. Her aura, and the pup's aura, a transfusion of some sort. Kagome was already so weak, though; from carrying and giving birth to the pups. Her own aura had a dull glow, and she was so tired. But this was her pup. She was so small, so beautiful. She deserved a chance to live. A moment more and Kagome's mind was made up. No matter what it did to her, she was going to save her pup. Kagome looked up at InuYasha and smiled sadly. He would have something to say about it. He'd be able to sense it as soon as Kagome started using her miko powers. A barrier. It was all she could do to keep him away long enough.

InuYasha felt Kagome's eyes upon him and turned, locking her gaze with his. His eyes widened as he realized what his mate was about to try to do. He shook his head. "Kagome… don't…"

"I have to, InuYasha."

InuYasha leaped across the hut only to land face-first into a barrier. The blow knocked him onto his back, and could only mutter curses to himself. He quickly thought through his options. He couldn't use the red Tetsusaiga, he'd hurt Kagome in the process. Kagome was distraught; she'd do anything for anyone. She'd kill herself trying to save her own pup. InuYasha would gladly give his own life if her knew it would save the pup, but it was too late. The pup was gone, and Kagome was harming herself more than she was helping the pup. How could he stop her!

"Kagome, don't you dare!" But Kagome had already started filtering some of her energy into the pup. She closed her eyes, unable to watch as InuYasha threw himself against the barrier over and over. She tuned out the sounds around her, listening to the rhythm of her own heart. She had a good grasp on her energy now, pulling it out of her own body and steering into the pup. "Kagome drop this barrier right now!"

"Kagome! You're using too much of your spiritual energy! You'll kill yourself!" Miroku let go of Sango and stood by the barrier.

"Can you break it?" InuYasha asked through gritted teeth.

"No. Kagome's spiritual energy is far too strong for me, even in this state. She'll have to stop the barrier on her own."

"She'll die if she keeps using her energy like that!"

"I know, InuYasha, but there's nothing we can do!"

"Okaa-san, don't do this!" Shippou stepped up right in front of the barrier. "Please, just drop the barrier, Okaa-san."

_Just a bit more…_ Kagome coaxed herself. Thankfully, the pup's aura was accepting her energy without hindrance. She could already tell a great difference in the pup's aura. It went from a dull gray and was already on its way to a brilliant silvery-white. Kagome could fell life starting back up, the pup's aura starting to create its own energy. She would have smiled if she wasn't still so focused.

The boy-pup wailed in his basket, all the yelling having woken him. InuYasha quickly picked him up in his arms to settle him. Both the hanyous' ears were flat on their heads. InuYasha and the others could only look on as Kagome started to become very pale, and her barrier started to falter, occasionally flickering. It was impossible to tell what exactly was going on, but everyone had a good idea.

When the barrier around mother and child finally gave way, InuYasha handed the pup to Shippou and rushed to Kagome's side. "Kagome? Kagome!" He pulled her head into his lap, his hand on her forehead telling him how cold she had grown. She was so cold, and her body was completely limp. "Kagome, don't do this to me. Come on, open your eyes! Don't you dare die on me, DON'T YOU DARE!"

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up and smiled. "I…won't. Tired… take the…pup." With that her eyes closed again, falling into unconsciousness.

"K-kagome…" InuYasha laid Kagome's head back on the futon, carefully maneuvering her off his lap, then turned his attention to the pup. _Kagome…why did you do this? Why did you risk your life? Our pup…is gone. There's no bringing her back._ He sighed, moving the back of his hand across the pup's warm cheek. It was…warm! "What the…?" He picked up the pup and focused all his senses on her. Something was defiantly different about her. She smelled like a pup, no longer reeking of death. Then suddenly, there was a new sound. The pup's heart,…'tha thump, tha thump'. It was weak, but it had started beating!

InuYasha ignored the questioning glances around him. He felt a twitch, the pup's foot kicked. Then her eyelids fluttered, just slightly, hardly enough for the hanyou to see. The next thing to come surprised everyone in the room; a small gasp followed by an ear-shattering cry coming from the bundle in InuYasha's arms.

"Sh-she's okay!" his voice was filled with relief as he sat beside Kagome. "She's alive!" The others quickly gathered around InuYasha to see, sure enough, that the pup was alive, and was no longer short on breath. Sango took a moment to look over the girl, and could find nothing visibly wrong with her. It was as if she were never gone, just waking from a deep sleep.

Miroku wasn't all that cheery just yet. He alone knew the severity of the situation Kagome had put herself in, knowing more about spiritual energy then anyone else in the room. He knelt beside Kagome with a solemn look across his face. She was cold to the touch, a deadly cold that sent shivers down the ex-monk's spine. She had used too much of her own energy on the pup, while it seemed that the pup was now very much alive and well, Kagome was slowly fading away. She had to be kept warm. Though he could do nothing about her spiritual self, they would at least take care of her physical body.

"Sango, bring extra blankets."

"Miroku?" Sango's face was still stained with tears, her eyes shinning with more tears threatening to fall.

"Extra blankets, Sango, and a basin of water. Shippou, go find Makoto and Kita. They'll need to be here as well. I'm afraid it's going to be a long night here for all of us." InuYasha and Miroku's eyes locked for a few seconds before InuYasha went back to tending to the girl-pup. Miroku will never forget the look of sadness and longing in his friend's gaze.

InuYasha didn't know what to think, or do. He wanted to break down. He wanted to lie down next to Kagome and not get up, and his pups were the only think keeping him from doing so. He was glad Miroku had taken hold of the situation and was keeping everyone else busy with things that needed to be done. InuYasha didn't think he would have been able to lead the others as he usually did. He looked down at the pup. She was still crying, her face turning red. She didn't understand what was going on, and for good reasons.

"Here, Oyaji," Shippou said, giving InuYasha the boy-pup under his other arm. "I'll find Makoto and be back soon." He started to leave, but turned around to add; "And don't worry about Okaa-san. She'll pull though. She always does."

InuYasha merely nodded as Shippou left the hut. He looked from one pup to the other. Things were going to be hard for all of them with Kagome in the condition she was in, but it would be harder for the pups. Pups needed their mother constantly for the first month or two, never leaving their side for more than a few minutes at a time. These pups weren't going to have their mother for a while, if ever. He didn't want to think about it, but InuYasha really didn't have a choice. What was he going to do if he did lose Kagome? Taking care of two pups on his own?

Around that time Sango entered with the blankets. She covered Kagome with one, gave one to InuYasha, and laid the other beside him. "They'll be hungry soon." She stated, gesturing to the pups.

"I don't think Kagome can feed them."

"No, she can't. I'll go ask around the village, but I think goat's milk is the best we can do for them right now."

InuYasha sighed and nodded. If that was the best they could do, then there was nothing more to be said.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto rushed back to the village with Kita followed not too far behind him. They had both felt the sudden energy surge that Makoto recognized as Kagome's barrier, but then he felt something different. Like her very being was leaving her. He couldn't travel fast enough to satisfy his fears. Not to long later he came to a sudden stop, as did Kita behind him, and he stared into the direction of the hut.

"She dropped her barrier."

"No," Makoto responded, "she didn't drop the barrier. Her barrier failed." Reality seemed to sink into the inu-hanyou all at once. Number one, Kagome raised a barrier, meaning she wanted to keep something out. Number two, her barrier just failed, meaning she couldn't hold it anymore. And number three; he couldn't sense her presence anymore. Her energy was depleted.

"What do you mean it failed?"

"Just what I said, Kita!" he snapped. "Her barrier failed, I can't sense her!"

Kita placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just get there and find out what's going on, okay?"

"Oi! Makoto!"

"Shippou? What is going on!"

"Okaa-san used her powers to transfer her energy to the pup. The pup's fine now, but Okaa's very weak."

"Wha…?"

Shippou grabbed Makoto's sleeve and pulled him. "I'll tell you on the way, now move it!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto, Kita, and Shippou entered the hut as quietly as they could. InuYasha was holding the sleeping pups in his arms but his eyes were fixed on Kagome who lied beside him. Tani immediately ran and jumped into Shippou's arms. Makoto swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He had never seen his Okaa looking so sickly. Her face was pale, and she didn't move an inch. If he didn't have his hanyou senses he would have sworn that she was already dead. He shouldn't have run out on her. He shouldn't have left her alone like he had, it just wasn't right.

"Oyaji?"

InuYasha looked away from Kagome and fixed his gaze on Makoto. "Hmm?"

"Is she…" he sighed. "Is Okaa-san going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine, Makoto. She always pulls through."

**A/N:**

**Been trying to get this chappie to you, but FFnet wouldn't let me. TT**

**And yesh…more angst to add to the pile. But at least the pup is okay, right?**

**:cowers behind desk: …right?**

**I've been neglecting my Reviewer points as well. :sweatdrop:**

**I'll get them up when I get time.**

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	20. Pups

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 20: Pups**

Sure enough, it was a long night for everyone in the hut that night. The pups were restless, hardly getting a bit of sleep from the uneasiness and tension. Sango, Kita, and Tani took turns caring for the infants. Both pups hadn't eaten very much, and that worried everyone. Makoto commented that it was probably the smell of the goat's milk that made the pups push it away, but they were hungry enough to take it a little at a time. The girl-pup seemed healthy enough. She still wasn't as alert or active as her brother, but she was well on her way to a full recovery.

Kagome, on the other hand, had yet to waken. There was one point during the night when she stopped breathing completely. InuYasha stayed up with her all night. It was one of those moments that reminded everyone how much he really relied on Kagome. Before her, he had nothing. Without her, he would truly be lost. Sure, he'd keep going, for his friends and pups, but if Kagome were to die, part of InuYasha would die with her.

After that slight scare, the night went by slowly. Kagome's breathing had returned to normal, and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. That didn't stop the worry at all. Many of the villagers came around the next morning to check on their village miko and the new additions. Between Shippou, Makoto, and of course InuYasha, none of them were allowed within fifty yards of the hut entrance. Rumors were going around the whole village that she had passed during the night.

Mai came by occasionally, and with the help of Kisho she was able to keep the villagers from getting themselves hurt by the weary hanyous and youkai. Kita pretty much stayed by Makoto's side, occasionally leaving him only to look after Hana and Yumi when need be, but most of the time the two were under close watch of Kirara. Cho had stayed in the hut with Sango to help out as much as possible. Not that there was much to do. Mostly she just help cook food that no one seemed to want, held Kagome's head while Sango tried to get her to drink a bit of water, changed and washed blankets, and mixing herbs her father had suggested to rebuild Kagome's energy.

Miroku mainly sat and watched over his friend. Kagome had done so much for him and Sango. She's the one who really brought the two together. Kagome was more than just a dear friend, she was family. Miroku alone _knew_ the great risk Kagome had taken. She didn't only risk her _life_ trying to save the pup, she risked her very _soul_ saving the child. Giving energy, **life** energy, to anyone, was a major risk for the miko. When transferring such energy, in such a great amount, it would be easy to completely shatter your own existence.

Miroku shivered at his own thoughts. The outcome would be much like the effects of his wind-tunnel. Stuck in a complete void for all eternity. There would be nothing but darkness, endless darkness. Kagome would have been completely lost to this world if she hadn't had such control over her powers. She would be living, but dead. Deaf and blind to the world. Then, she would have simply ceased to exist. Never had Miroku heard of anyone trying to transfer their life-energy in such a way. The outcome had always been too risky for anyone to try. But she had done it. She had done the unimaginable, and survived.

Miroku had little doubt that Kagome would not awaken. He had felt her spirit slowly start to connect back to her body during the early morning hours, but didn't tell anyone, not just yet. She was still too far away to be completely sure, and he didn't want to give out false hopes, especially to that group. Miroku hated to keep such news from InuYasha, but was bent on keeping his mouth shut unto he was more sure of himself. Instead, he did the only thing he could do for InuYasha. He had placed sutras for calling forth energy all around Kagome's futon at InuYasha's request. Miroku had warned him, since he had youkai blood, the sutras would have an effect on him if he stayed too close, but the hanyou refused to listen. Miroku could tell he was in pain.

The first day came and went, which led to another long night full of crying pups, moping sons, and a very depressed mate. He hadn't even taken the time to give the pups names, saying that Kagome would 'sit' him a thousand times if he were to name them without her. Instead, he took to calling them 'baby girl' and 'squirt'. He spent hours holding the pups and nuzzling close to Kagome, careful to not let Miroku's sutras touch the pups. Finally, when the others were taking care of things in the village and the pups were three-days old, Kagome's eyes opened. InuYasha had the pups in their baskets and was on his knees by her side in a flash.

"Kagome?" he soothed back her hair as she blinked blankly at him. "Kagome…?"

"InuYasha…how long have I been out?" her voice was hoarse and cracked from not being used for so long.

"A few days." He replied. InuYasha pushed her back down as she tried to sit up. "Don't. Just lay down for awhile."

"Are the pups alright?"

"Keh. They're fine. They're both fine. Been waiting to meet you." He laid down next to her and snuggled her closely. "I thought I had lost you for good. I don't know what I would have done without you, Kagome."

Kagome sighed and closed her eyes. "How is everyone else?"

"Been waiting on you to wakeup. Stupid wench." He mumbled into her neck, placing kisses along the way. "If you ever do anything like that again I'll FIND someone to make YOU a subduing necklace."

"Oh really?" Kagome smirked and pulled on the beads around InuYasha's neck, effectively connecting her lips with his.

"I don't know, but I think Okaa's doing fine. What do you think Shippou?" InuYasha and Kagome jumped at the sight of Makoto and Shippou, along with the others standing behind them, at the door of the hut with smirks across their faces.

"I think she's doing rather well, Makoto. What about you, Miroku?"

"Well, obviously she regained enough energy for pleasantries. I'd say she will be fine if InuYasha can stay away from her long enough for her to fully recover."

"Miroku…" InuYasha warned with a glare and snarl. Makoto and Shippou had already made their way to their mother's side.

"Glad you're okay, Okaa-san. You had all of us worried." Makoto said with his ears drooped.

Shippou nodded solemnly in agreement. Then smirked. "Yea, we're glad you're awake. Oyaji has been driving everyone nuts. What with the moping, and whining, and all. He cries more than the pups do." After that Shippou busted out of the hut with an enraged hanyou following close behind. Kagome laughed as she watched them through the entrance. It was nice to know InuYasha cared about her so much, even though he still hated to show that much of himself to others.

"Get back here, Shippou! I'll use that tail of yours to line the pups' baskets!"

"Okaa, help! Oyaji's gonna kill meee!"

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes at the kitsune's old tactics. Though the years he had learned to stay on InuYasha's good side for most of the time, but his little tricks and mouth-offs would occasionally bring him back into the same situation, relying on Kagome to same him from a thumping. "Sit." 'THUMP!'

"Augh…Kagome…"

Kagome turned to the pups who had started crying again with all the commotion going on around them. InuYasha dragged himself inside, covered in dirt and mumbling incoherent words to himself with a very smug looking kitsune following a few feet behind. Tani elbowed him in the stomach as soon as he got close enough. Makoto rolled his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly, but smirked the whole time.

InuYasha reached into the baskets and pulled out both the pups in each of his arms, settling himself next to Kagome who immediately reached for her little girl. Sparkling, silver eyes gazed back at her questioningly, like she was sensing something familiar but still couldn't figure it out. Kagome's daughter didn't know her, but that would change. They would have plenty of time for all that now.

"Are you finally going to name them?" Sango asked.

"Name them? You mean InuYasha hasn't given them names!"

InuYasha gulped. "I thought you would want to be here for that…"

"They're been here all this time and still don't have names? What were you calling them!"

"He…" InuYasha clamped his hand over Makoto's mouth before the hanyou could get another word out.

"It doesn't matter, now. You're here and now we can name them." InuYasha tilted the boy in his arms for everyone to see. "Start with him."

Kagome took a minute to look him over. His hair, almost completely jet-black except for the silver streak on one of his ears, made his golden eyes glow with a roaring flame. That was the feature that stood out the most on the boy-pup, his fiery eyes. "Mehiji (simply put, child with fiery eyes)," she said. The pup's ear twitched toward his mother as she said the name.

"Keh. Mehiji. That's it then, Mehiji. Now what about baby-girl?"

"Baby-girl?" Kagome raised an eyebrow. InuYasha shrugged his shoulders. "Right…"

"Gina."

"Huh?"

"Gina. I like Gina." InuYasha eyed Kagome. She seemed to be thinking things over in her head before she smiled and nodded.

"I like it. Gina. So Mehiji and Gina it is, then." Kagome gave a big yawn and slumped back against the futon.

"Alright, Okaa, that's enough for today. You and Oyaji need to get some rest. Makoto and I will look after the pups tonight." Shippou reached out and grabbed Gina, motioning for Makoto to take Mehiji.

InuYasha suddenly felt really tired, like the weight of the past few days was finally lifted from his shoulders and he could finally rest. He tried to no avail to stifle a yawn as he turned to his older boys. "Don't go far. I want those two within sniffing distance at all times, got it!"

"We got it, Oyaji. They can stay with me and Tani for the night, and we'll bring them back as soon as you two wake in the morning."

InuYasha lifted one eyebrow above his half-closed eyes. "Sure you can handle it? They haven't ever been away from me and Kagome."

"We've got it Oyaji, no problem."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto and Kita's ears were plastered to their heads to block out all the wailing coming from the small pups. Tani was walking around with Gina in her arms, trying to sooth the girl's cries. Shippou had his hands full trying to change the cloth diaper on Makoto while holding his nose and avoiding… accidents.

"Shippou, I can't do this!" Tani whined to her mate. "She just keeps crying. She's not hungry, she's not dirty, why won't she just stop crying!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Don't you think you should go get them now, InuYasha?" Kagome poked her mate in the side.

"Why? He'll have to get use to it soon enough." He couldn't help the smug grin that popped up on his face. "Besides, he said they could take care of the pups, remember?"

"InuYasha…go get them. You're going to have poor Tani scared out of her mind."

"Okay, okay. Keh."

InuYasha got to his knees, nuzzling Kagome's neck before pushing aside the reed door and made his way to Shippou's hut, not too far away. He could hear the noise yards away. And it wasn't just the pups he was hearing.

"What do I do with it now!" Shippou yelled, holding the soiled cloth diaper between his index finger and thumb. He swirled around, nearly hitting Makoto in the face with the offending object.

Makoto tripped over his own feet backing away from the diaper. "Watch where you're pointing that thing, BAKA!"

"Take it outside and dump it, stupid!" Shippou waved the diaper in front of the hanyou.

"Get that thing away from me!"

"Take it!"

"No!"

"Makoto!"

"Shippou, I'm not taking that thing, it stinks!"

"What do you expect, spring water and rose petals! I've got Mehiji, you take it."

"I'll get Mehiji and you can take it!"

"Stop yelling, Makoto, you're making things worse." Kita shook her head and grabbed the diaper, giving both the brothers a gaze that told them to stop being so childish over the object. Stepping outside, she used a bucket of water to wash the cloth clean and hung it up on a line with the rest of the laundry. Before she turned to go back inside, she felt a pair of eyes upon her, a shiver running up her spine. Sensing the she-wolf's sudden discomfort, InuYasha stepped out from the side of the hut so she could see it was just him. Kita let out a silent sigh of relief; folding her hands in font of her she gave InuYasha a slight bow. "Good afternoon, InuYasha-sama."

"Keh. None of that junk around me, girl. It's InuYasha. _Just_ InuYasha." The girl nodded and glanced toward the door. "Don't mind me, just picking up the pups before Kagome starts 'sitting' me." Stepping through the door, he was met with gleeful faces.

"Oyaji!" Both Shippou and Makoto exclaimed at the same time. Shippou hesitated. "We…uh…thought you and Okaa were resting."

"Who can rest when I can hear the pups whining all the way back there!" He reached out and took Mehiji from Shippou, walked over to Tani and took Gina in his other arm. The wailing stopped almost instantly. "Word of advice. _Never_ take pups this young away from their parents, bakas."

"Why didn't you tell us that in the first place!"

InuYasha shrugged with a smirk. "You learned it, didn't you?"

**A/N: **

**Work, work, work. Anyway…the website no longer exists, go to the forum for Reviewer Point updates. It's easier for me to update.**

**Kachikitsucasa dot proboards104 dot com**

**Fluff is coming up, as well as fights. Secrets are revealed about one of the pups, first new moon, more babysitting, did I mention fluff?**


	21. Night of the New Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 21: Night of the New Moon**

Kita walked around the main room in InuYasha and Kagome's hut, holding and lightly patting Gina as her eyes slowly closed. Makoto was leaning on the doorframe waiting for Kita to join him. He watched her as she held the pup, listening to her soft humming. He couldn't help the lopsided smile that crept up on his face. Seeing her like that made him think of how they might be… one day… in the far future. She was beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful. From her slightly scarred skin, to her emerald eyes, midnight-black hair, twitchy wolf-ears, all the way down her slender yet muscular legs.

Makoto caught himself just before he stumbled out of the door; gulped and wiped away the drool that had collected at the corners of his mouth. That girl would be the death of him one day, she really would, and she didn't even know it. Makoto smirked. He'd make **sure** Kita knew how much she affected him, how much she meant to him. And to think, it all started from being knocked down by the girl. Who knew what the fates had in store for them later on down the road. Makoto would have never guessed it. And frankly, Kita wouldn't have guessed either.

Kita placed the now sleeping Gina in her basket. The pup had been so quite for the past few days, barely uttering a sound unless she was hungry. Her twin brother, on the other hand, was going though some terrible growling spells. Kita knew it was only because he was tired of getting passed from one person to another, but the pup _growled_ at _everyone_ and _everything_! She shook her head and smiled. Kagome and InuYasha were lucky. They were all lucky to have such a family. She was lucky to be welcomed into their family with no second thoughts at all.

Kita glanced at the inu-hanyou leading against the doorframe and blushed. Had he been watching her the whole time! Her blush only deepened as the object of her affection pushed off from the door and walked to her wearing a broad smile. She felt her knees grow weak as he held out his hand for her. Without breaking eye contact, Kita accepted his hand and allowed Makoto to lead her out the doorway into the evening sunlight and up the hill to sit under **their** tree.

She sat down with her feet curled to her side as Makoto flopped against the tree trunk in front of her. They just sat there neither saying anything until Makoto leaned forward, grabbing Kita around the waist and pulling her into his lap. Kita gasped at the sudden closeness, now nearly nose to nose with the silver-haired hanyou. She instantly felt her breathing shallow and her heartbeat start to race. She knew he felt it too, with an added smug smirk on his lips. Makoto wrapped his arms more securely around her and nuzzled his nose on her neck.

Kita sucked in a quick breath after feeling Makoto's lips barely graze her jaw-line, making his way past her cheek and no more than brushing gently across her lips, doing nothing more than teasing the girl. Then, very softly, he kissed her. Kita responded by shifting herself in his lap and pressing harder against him, deepening the kiss herself. Suddenly she stopped, turning her head with a blush and a frown at her boldness with the kiss. Makoto hooked her chin with his hand and turned her to look him in the eye.

"What's wrong, Kita? I thought…do you…I…" he sighed and shook his head. "I thought you were okay with… you know…"

"I-it's not that."

"Then what is it? You can…talk to me… if you want to."

"I'm…I'm…" Kita grabbed the front of Makoto kimono and buried her face in his chest. "I'm scared, Makoto! I don't know what's going to happen. Haru and Taru aren't just going to let me escape from them, he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants! Kagome, InuYasha, your friends… I led Haru straight to them! As soon as he recovers he's going to come looking for all of you."

Makoto let out a deep sigh as he rubbed the she-wolf's back soothingly. "I don't know what's going to happen, either. We'll have to face him soon, all of us. You're going to have to face him again. But this time, you're not alone. I won't **ever** let anything happen to you Kita, not **ever**. And if that sorry excuse for a youkai shows up here with Oyaji being as up-tight as he is right now, I feel sorry for him." Makoto smirked as Kita let out a small laugh. "Okaa would have to 'sit' him a hundred times before he stopped hacking at pieces of Haru left. I'm surprised he didn't do it years ago at the castle, if that story was true."

Kita cringed at the mention of the castle, the castle with the Inu Lord, Sesshomaru, where she had almost successfully gotten herself killed. She was sure if she ever did cross his path again, she wouldn't be so lucky.

Makoto sensed the girl's dread and decided to lighten up the mood again. It wasn't right for her to dwell in the past, wishing for punishment for the crimes she was not really all that guilty for in the first place. He nuzzled down into Kita's hair, earning another shocked gasp as he started to nibble on her earlobe with his sharp fangs. Soon the feel of dread in the air was replaced by contentment… and a bit of nervousness. Makoto took in the girl's scent, kissing his way down her neck, across her jaw line, until finally coming to a rest on her lips, pressing firmly against them.

Kita wrapped her arms around Makoto's neck, pulling him down closer to her. He picked Kita up off his lap and laid her in the grass, lingering over her and supporting himself on his elbows placed on either side of her. He instantly lowered his head and once again captured her lips with his. He was lucky. He was lucky he had found her. Lucky to have her. And he was going to be sure she knew it. His tongue pushed past her lips and invaded her mouth, tasting her, losing himself to her.

Kita couldn't keep herself from letting out an approving growl at the new sensation. She blushed at her forwardness, but didn't dare even think about pulling away. Instead she let one of her hands fall from his neck and down his back, feeling the muscles underneath his kimono. She was lost in his touch, lost in every loving caress. A hand went up, rubbing one of her ears and Kita felt the rumbling growl from deep within Makoto's chest. Everything was perfect, the mood, the love, the feeling; until a sudden familiar feeling fell upon the two hanyou.

Makoto sighed and pushed himself up off the ground as soon as he felt the changes begin. Kita did the same. With long dejected facial expressions the waited for the changes to stop. A pair of dog and wolf ears disappeared beneath black hair, giving rise to human ears at the sides of two heads. Long claws and fangs shortened; sight, sound, and smell dulling continuously throughout the process. After a few minutes, two humans sat alone under the stars.

Nothing was said. Nothing spoken. Makoto pulled the girl to sit between his legs, Kita leaning back against his chest while his knees hugged her sides, his chin resting on her shoulder, and arms wrapped securely around her stomach.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

For once, InuYasha was more than happy to be human. If he had his hanyou hearing at the time, he was sure he would have gone deaf from the wailing and screaming and crying fits the pups had broken into as soon as the sun had gone down. Both he and Kagome were prepared, though, for the pups' first new moon. It had been the same way with Makoto, and InuYasha was pretty sure it had been the same way with him, and all other hanyous that can't figure out what had happened to them.

Mehiji's hair had turned completely black, just as InuYasha and Makoto on their human nights. His eyes had changed to brown, claws and fangs also human. The amount of air traveling through his lungs and back out though his crying was anything but human. The kid could make a deaf man cover his ears from the noise.

Gina, on the other hand, preferred small, heartbreaking sobs. InuYasha took the time to look over his now human baby-girl. Something was strange about her, something different. Not bad, but not completely good, either. Her hair and eyes were still as silver as the day she was born, though the rest of her looked completely human. There was a change in her aura, at least that's what Kagome had told him. His little girl really was something special. How special? Only time would tell.

"InuYasha, please?" InuYasha shook his head and sighed. Kagome had been trying to convince him to let her out where they could all go to the hill over the village, just as they had with Makoto on his human nights.

"You're to weak, wench. Even Miroku and Sango agreed that you shouldn't move off of that futon for another two weeks at least. And you can forget going outside this hut for a month."

"InuYasha…" Her tone was sweet and sour, a mixture of happiness that her mate cared so much for her, depression cause she was so weak, guiltiness because she knew that he was probably right, and sadness that she would share the same memories with these pups as she had Makoto on his first human night.

InuYasha's ear twitched. He was almost too afraid to look behind him. When InuYasha finally did dare to face her, his outer shell completely collapsed. She was on her futon, rocking back and forth with the wailing Makoto, covered in a heavy blanket and propped up by a stack of cushions. What got to him, though, was the fact that the girl's bottom lip was turned under in a childish pout, and she was batting her eyelashes across her big doe-like brown eyes that stared right though InuYasha's soul.

He stood to his feet, mumbling something to himself, and put Gina and Mehiji in their baskets. Without a word he wrapped Kagome tight in her blanket, He looped Gina's basket on one arm, Mehiji's on the other, and picked up Kagome with little effort. Kagome nuzzled against his neck with a smile, giving his cheek a light kiss.

"Keh."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kita and Makoto sat on the hill overlooking the village, watching as the firelight from each of the huts went out as the villagers settled down for the night. Still wrapped in his arms, Kita closed her eyes and wiggled against Makoto into a more comfortable position. He sighed at the sound of two crying babies getting closer, and shifted himself to turn around and watch the approach of his parents and new siblings. He wasn't surprise to see InuYasha carrying all three in his arms.

"Oyaji." Makoto stated to Kita as she gave him a questioning look. She nodded and sat up to sit next to Makoto instead of on top of him. He gave a dissatisfied grunt but allowed her to do so. InuYasha sat down the pups' baskets and Kagome on the ground to the right of Makoto and Kita.

"Silver?" Makoto indicated to Gina.

InuYasha nodded. "Silver. Kinda a bit strange if you ask me. Human but still has silver hair and eyes. Dunno where she got the silver eyes in the first place." He turned to his other side. "You okay, Kagome?" she still looked sickly, and smelled sickly when the hanyou had their senses, and InuYasha didn't like having her out one bit.

"I'm fine." She smiled hand reached into one of the baskets, pulling out Mehiji to set him on her lap facing the village. InuYasha reached into the other basket and put Gina in the same position in his lap. The two still sniffled every once in awhile, but most of their cries quieted. "I can only imagine what's going through their minds right now, turning to human for their first time." A collective sigh came from the three human-hanyou.

"Lost. Confused. Scared. That's what I remember feeling when I was a small pup. None of it made any sense." Makoto pulled Kita closer and then continued. "I remember being brought up here by Okaa, or to Goshinboku. It was a constant, something I could hold onto. I knew we would come here."

"All I remember was hating human nights like this." Kita shivered and snuggled closer to Makoto. "Always so weak and vulnerable. Can't smell anything. Can't sense anything. Kinda like being blind and deaf for one night."

"Keh. Yea. Being chased by everything with teeth and claws." InuYasha crossed his arms. "And everything going straight for the ears. Why the ears!"

Kagome laughed. "Because they're so cute and soft and everyone wants to touch them." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Awe…is Oyaji blushing?" Makoto ducked from the half-hearted blow that swooped over his head. "His cute wittle ears…"

"Makoto…" InuYasha growled out a warning.

Kita poked Makoto's ribs and gave him a look.

"What is it, Kita?" His eyes followed her gaze down to Gina in Kagome's arms and he gasped. InuYasha and Kagome where already staring, too. Everything fell quiet. All too quiet. The little pup's eyes were glazed over, her aura glowing brightly silver all around her. Gina's hair flowed in the air around her, making the scene surreal.

"InuYasha?" Kagome questioned in a shaky voice. InuYasha just shook his head and stared. He didn't know what was going on, either. Something strange was growing within the small pup, something Kagome just didn't know how to explain or even identify. A power of sorts, yet not altogether…present. Like having an ember without the flames of a fire, there was a chance of fire, but no flames to show it exists. Dormant. Waiting for something to cause it to ignite.

The pup was completely still and the light continued to surround her. Mehiji gripped InuYasha's haori and buried his face within the firerat cloth with a growl and a soft whimper. InuYasha covered with pup with the sleeves of his haori as he watched the light begin to fade. The glaze over Gina's eyes melted away as she became more attentive again. It took all of five seconds for the pup to start sobbing and mimic her brother by burying her face in Kagome's kimono.

"Oi, what was that pup!" InuYasha nearly yelled in a confused voice.

"Shhh…InuYasha, they're already scared out of their wits."

"Well excuse me for wandering just what that was! I mean, pups don't just start…start… _glowing_ like that! Did you _see_ her Kagome! Did you _feel_ that radiating off of her!"

"InuYasha, please calm down." Kagome snuggled by his side with a sigh.

InuYasha snuggled back against his mate mumbling under his breath. He didn't mean to scare the pups any further. Truth was, he was more that scared enough for all of them. He would rather face a thousand youkai on his own than have to deal with losing a member of his family. He had almost lost Kagome, Shippou, Miroku and Sango many times. He had a few close calls with Makoto, too. And Gina… for a while he **had** lost her. Now something else was happening, something he knew nothing about and didn't know whether on not it was something they should worry about or not.

He looked down at Kagome who was comforting Gina as best she could, then over to Makoto holding the nearly asleep wolf-hanyou snuggled up against his chest, and finally down at the village below. Yes, they had been though a lot over the years. Yes, they had more than their fair share of close calls, but they always managed to make it though. InuYasha nodded to himself. Whatever was going on with his little girl, he was just going to have to deal with. Nothing was going to happen to her, _nothing._

**A/N:**

…**a new chapter? A new CHAPTER! Wow….**

**Sorry, been very, very busy this summer. Next chappie will be out soon. Promise!**


	22. Babies' Day Out

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 22: Babies' Day Out**

"Whaaaaaaaaa!"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"InuYasha!"

"I've got her Kagome!"

"It's not Gina, it's Mehiji."

"I think it's both!" the hanyou whined.

"You get Gina and I'll get Mehiji, then."

"No, you're not moving from that futon Kagome Higurashi. You promised."

"But…"

"No."

"I got him, Okaa." Shippou replied, picking up one of the crying pups. His nose instantly curled at the horrid stench coming from the cloth diaper covering the pup's bottom. He made quick work of tossing the thing away and replacing it with a clean one. The pup continued to cry even as Shippou bounced him lightly and patted his back. "Okaa…" he pleaded, "tell them to quiet down already!"

"They're just pups, Shippou." Kagome remarked. "And you and Tani better be getting use to it anyway." Shippou's head drooped.

InuYasha wasn't having any better luck with Gina. The little girl seemed unfazed by the horrible birth experience over six weeks ago. And, as the others have come to figure out, she had quite a good set of lungs on her. InuYasha bounced her gently up and down in his arms after having changed her. His hair was matted and standing up on end, eyes blood-shot and half closed, ears fixed permanently flat on his head to drown out the wailing.

"Just bring them over here, InuYasha." Kagome replied.

"You're supposed to be resting."

"And you think I'm resting well with all the noise?"

"…" _Good point…_ InuYasha thought to himself with a weary sigh. He took Mehiji from the ever thankful kitsune and plopped down next to Kagome on the futon.

"Come here, little-man." Kagome said, reaching over and grabbing Mehiji from his father's grasp. He almost instantly settled down, and, sensing her brother's ease, Gina soon followed suit. "See? They just wanted their Okaa." Kagome smiled.

InuYasha didn't look too happy. He had really wanted Kagome just to take the day off. She still hadn't gained very much of her strength back, and though she wouldn't admit it, she wasn't able to take care of the pups like she said she was. This is what InuYasha had feared most. True, Kagome had his lifespan now, but she was still just a fragile human wench who just carried two hanyou pups, and had problems during the early birth, and now barley getting sleep from the constant crying. Heck, he wasn't even getting sleep from the crying, and he was hanyou! He turned his head to see that Mehiji, Gina, and Kagome had already fallen fast asleep. A yawn interrupted InuYasha's thoughts. Maybe a quick nap would be okay, since everyone else seemed so secure.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Makoto, get back here!" Kita yelled as she chased the inu-hanyou through the edge of the forest.

"Nu uh!"

"Makoto!" she whined. Kita stopped and looked around. _Now where did he get to?_ She huffed. Sometimes his playful moods really bugged her. Especially with the lack of sleep she had been getting. But, of course, he was having no problem sleeping through the night. _I swear he could sleep through anything._ She thought to herself. "Makoto! This isn't fun anymore!"

"Quit being such a pup!" he yelled from the tree tops.

"I'm not a pup!" she shouted, looking up to search for the hyperactive hanyou. No luck. Then, she had an idea. Kita walked a little ways before stumbling and falling to the ground, grabbing her 'injured' leg with a whimper of 'pain'.

Makoto jumped from his hiding place and kneeled by her side. "What's wrong Kita? Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Kita grinned and tackled the unsuspecting hanyou to the ground.

"Ha, ha!" she pinned him to the ground by his shoulders, savoring the shocked look that appeared across his face.

"Th-That's sneaky!"

"So. You called me a pup!"

Makoto flipped over so he could sit up, a knowing smirk on his lips. "Pup."

"Baka." She pushed him back to the ground and stood up, brushing her kimono and making sure to step right on the inu's stomach as she passed by.

"Ooof! What was that for?" Kita just gave a wink along with her grin and started walking off again.

Makoto ran up behind her and wrapped his arms securely around Kita's waist, lifting her up and jumping into Goshinboku's branches and earning a soft giggle from the she-wolf. He smirked, nuzzling into her neck with his nose. She tilted her head to the side to give him better access, her dark hair falling to one side on her shoulder. Makoto graciously accepted her offer, nipping with his fangs and laying sweet kisses on the back of her neck with his talented lips. Kita turned herself around in his arms with a grin and started placing kisses of her own upon his cheek, down across his jaw-line, but stopped with a smirk when she came to his lips.

Makoto quickly closed the gap himself, pressing his lips against hers with heated passion. His hands wandered over her stomach, rubbing her belly through her kimono. The other snaked behind her back and pulled her closer. Kita grinned against his lips, alloying him his way, for the moment anyway. When they finally parted from the kiss they were both gasping for air. Kita snuggled against Makoto's chest as Makoto raised his hand to scratch behind her ears.

Six weeks had been heaven on earth for the couple. Kita had really come around, not looking or acting anything like the wolf hanyou she was when they first found her. Her green eyes had really brightened up, and her smile…her smile brought Makoto to his knees every time he saw it cross her face. He wanted to do everything in his power to keep that smile on her permanently. Like the inu-hanyou, Makoto had found that wolf-hanyou ears were very sensitive to the touch.

"You're still not off the hook, you know." Kita mumbled.

"What did I do?"

"You baka, you ran out and hid from me this morning."

"Keh. I wasn't hiding from anyone, much less you. I was just trying to get away from the noise." He flattened his ears. "Those two sure do cry a lot."

"Like you've noticed. You sleep through it every night."

Makoto shrugged. "I like my sleep."

"MAKOTO!" yelled Shippou from the ground. "You're supposed to be helping me and Oyaji take care of the pups!"

"I am, I am. They're sleeping now right? So I'll take over when they wake up. No problem." He replied with a smirk. Shippou gave him a dirty look. "I will."

"Whatever. Just don't forget." His shoulders slumped and eyelids drooped. "I'm going to bed."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I just fed them, so they shouldn't be hungry for a couple of hours, but if they do just bring them back. Mehiji has gotten a bad habit of trying to crawl away, so don't put him down without watching him carefully. And Gina keeps trying to stand on her own, so watch her too." Kagome was packing cloth diapers, blankets, clothes, and everything else she could get her hands on into the make-shift diaper bag Sango had made for her and the pups. Makoto and Kita were listening, each with a pup in slings across their shoulders.

"I think we can handle them for two hours, Okaa-san."

"Don't worry, Kagome-sama. I'll look after all three of them." Kita replied. Kagome grinned and leaned back on her futon. The couple took the pups outside to the hilltop and sat down in the grass pulling the pups out of their slings and setting them down. "They're so cute!" Kita commented.

"That's because they take after their onii-san." Makoto replied with an arrogant smirk.

Kita grinned. "And I bet you think you're the best onii-san around, hum?"

"Yep."

"Then where's your oto?"

"He's right…" Makoto looked around, then a horror stricken look flooded his face. "He was right here!" Kita pointed behind him where Mehiji had crawled behind him and was plucking grass with his hands. Makoto sighed with relief.

"Kagome-sama told you he liked to wonder off."

"How did I know he was so fast! He's only six weeks old, and none of Oba and Oji's pups could sneak off like that until months later!"

"Uh huh. And they're human, not youkai, not hanyou. You of all people should know that."

"Never really thought about it." Makoto shrugged.

"Ah-nee…" Gina held up her arms toward Makoto with a pout and ears flat.

"What is it Gina?" Makoto asked, the girl clinging tightly to his haori.

"Makoto. Do you smell that?" Kita asked, sniffing the air. Mehiji crawled on his hands and feet into her arms with a whimper.

"Yea, now I do. Here, take Gina and get back to the hut. I'll take care of the youkai."

Before Kita had time to get away, a giant boar-youkai slammed through the trees at the bottom of the hill and rampaged straight toward them. Makoto pushed Kita and the pups behind him and raised his claws. The youkai showed no sign of slowing down or changing his course. Its tusks dug into the ground as it swayed its head from side to side with deep grunts. Makoto ran straight for the youkai, timing it just right so he could grab hold of the left tusk, jerking its head to the side enough to change its course.

The boar-youkai halted with the sudden added weight, stirring up dust under its hooves with a loud snort. Its gaze turned angrily toward Kita and the pups, fire flashing in its red eyes. Makoto hopped off the creatures back and stood directly in front of it with a low growl. For a moment the two just stared at each other. Mehiji chose that time to let out a loud wail, causing Makoto instinctively to turn, and the boar-youkai charged, using its massive tusks to slam into Makoto and toss him across the clearing. He landed with a hard thud and rolled across the ground.

"Makoto!" Kita jumped into the nearest tree with the pups wailing in her arms, the youkai now at her heels. The boar snorted, digging its front hoof into the dirt before slamming its tusks into the tree. Kita did everything she could just to keep from falling or dropping one of the pups.

Makoto shook his head, trying to regain some of his senses. His shoulder hurt, really, really hurt. It must have dislocated itself again. But it wasn't the time to worry about little injuries like that. Kita and the pups were in trouble. The tree in which the she-wolf had taken shelter was leaning to the side. One more good hit and it would fall completely over. He shakily stood to his feet and approached the youkai from behind, grabbing its tail and pulling it back a few feet to get its attention back to him.

It seemed to do the trick, for the boar-youkai turned its massive head around trying to slam into the hanyou again. But this time Makoto was ready for it. He grabbed a tusk and slung himself onto the back of the youkai. The youkai started bucking and squealing madly. Makoto flattened his ears at the high-pitched sound. Little did he know at the time that the squeal was more than just a frustrated noise. He heard a scream, followed by several snorts and grunts.

Kita clung desperately to the pups and the branch that held her in the leaning tree. At the boar-youkai's squeal, it had called what seemed to be the entire herd of boar-youkai to its aid in the clearing. Never had she seen so many boar-youkai in one place! Herds were usually small, this one consisted of at least thirteen, including the one that started the attack. Luckily there was only one around the same size as the other. The others were smaller, still around the height of Makoto, but smaller just the same.

The bigger youkai ran over to help its troubled mate. Seeing Makoto on the boar-youkai's back, there was no doubt that Makoto was the one causing its mate all the trouble. With a heavy snort the new boar ran its tusk along the others back, trying to scrape Makoto off. The inu had other plans. He had to get rid of these two and get to Kita and the pups as soon as possible. The hide of the boar was tough and thick. Not to mention smelly and soaked in sweat. But the youkai had to go down somehow. Makoto rolled his eyes. The one place where all animals and creatures like the boar were vulnerable was right across the stomach or in the chest. He was going to have to get under the youkai.

Kita wrapped the pups tightly in their slings and hooked them to the strongest branch within her reach. Her low growl told the pups danger was near, not that they had to be told, and to stay as still and quiet as possible. She could only hope that wolf and inu language weren't that different from each other. After checking once more that they wouldn't be thrown out of the slings Kita jumped to the ground and ran in the opposite direction with the eleven boar-youkai storming after her. Good. That's what she was hoping for. A little further away from the pups and she could take them on without worrying about their safety. She skidded to a stop and turned to face the youkai.

Makoto slung himself over the boar's head, holding onto its two tusks and wrapping his legs around its neck. The other was still thrashing about, trying to pry Makoto loose from its mate. Finally he saw an opening. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Makoto's claws ripped open the boar's stomach, the insides spilling out onto the grass. The youkai let out a loud grunt as it fell forward and ceased moving. Makoto barely had time to recover from the sudden lurch to the ground before the other was staring him straight in the eyes. It let out a shriek that left Makoto's ears ringing. It was mad from the smell of its mate's blood. Before the inu-hanyou could react, he was slung right into a tree, back cracking with the impact.

Kita fended off two of the smaller youkai, three already laying dead at her feet. She was already tiring. There were just too many of them to fend off by herself. Kita let out a grunt of pain as she felt another tusk dig into her side. What had caused these youkai to become so angry? They weren't just attacking; they had a reason for attacking, and in greater numbers than usual. Kita could tell Makoto wasn't faring too much better with the bigger one. She glanced over just in time to see him hit the ground again, and become caught under the hooves of the remaining youkai. She gasped. He was hit over and over across his body, and she couldn't get to him.

"Fox Fire!" came a yell out of nowhere. A giant blue flame took out three more of the youkai Kita had been fighting. "Kita, are you alright? Where's Mehiji and Gina?" Shippou asked, running to her side with Miroku not too far behind.

"I'm fine, the pups are fine, they're in the tree."

"They're WHAT!"

"Don't worry about it, Makoto needs help, I'll take care of the pups."

Shippou nodded and used his Fox Fire to make a path to where Makoto was battling the huge boar-youkai. "Fox Fire!" the blue flames merely singed the tough hide. Miroku grabbed a sutra from his robe and threw at the beast. The holy paper merely singed away without a mark.

"I got it, Shippou!" Makoto yelled from underneath the creature.

"What do you mean you got it!"

"Just shut-up and let me finish this!" Makoto was bruised, aching from head to toe from the bashing, but he knew this technique would work. He had already proved the stomach as its weak spot, and with another slash with his claws the youkai's stomach was ripped open. The foul smell invaded his nostrils, but he simply stood to his feet and walked over to where Shippou, Kita, and Miroku had just finished off the last of the other youkai. He leaped into the tree and pulled down the slings with the pups.

"Ah-nee!" Gina yelled. Makoto gaped at the sight of his sister. There was a familiar silver-ish glow around her that Makoto had only seen on her human nights. Gina squirmed out of the sling and clung to Makoto's haori.

What happened next would be nearly indescribable. With the soft touch of Gina's small frame, a hot sting instantly flowed through Makoto's body. He screamed in pain as the glow from Gina consumed him all over his body. It felt like liquid fire was flowing through his veins and into his wildly beating heart. His ears buzzed with the sound of the crackling electricity, his vision blurred from the immense pain. He wasn't even aware that he was still screaming as the smell of his own burning flesh hit his nose, but the smell became more faint as his senses faded.

"Makoto!" Kita took off towards the inu-hanyou. Just as she reached out to touch him another hand wrapped around her wrist. "Miroku-sama?" she nearly whimpered.

"You can't touch them. Just back away for now, I'll take care of this." Kita nodded and took a step back as Miroku approached the two glowing inu. With a quick, silent prayer he reached out and grabbed Gina from her brother with no trouble except a very upset inu-hanyou pup in his hands.

Makoto stood silent, breathing heavily, then fell into a heap on the ground. His human black hair covering his face.

**A/N:**

**Hey…at least I got the chapter out pretty quick. The next chapter might be out within the week, then I'll be gone for a week. Just giving you a heads-up warning. **

**Go to http/ kachikitsucasa dot proboards104 dot com for reviewer points, games, updates, chat, so on so forth.**

**Oh, and fyi, hope you enjoyed the fluff. Things are going to get a bit harder for our crew. There's still the answer behind Gina's episodes (if you haven't already guessed it), Sesshie's coming up again soon, a chappie with mostly Shippou and Taru, and the biggest battle I've ever written later in the story.**


	23. The Life of a Flea, The Pain of a Monk

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 23: The Life of a Flea, the Pain of a Monk**

Kagome and InuYasha instantly knew something was wrong when they were woken by the sound of Miroku's voice invading their hut.

"Lay him down here." He instructed Kita and Shippou, carrying the human Makoto. Miroku had both pups in his arms with a solemn look on his face.

"Is he going to be okay, Miroku-sama?"

"He should be."

"And what exactly happened back there!" Shippou all but yelled.

"Makoto!" Kagome was leaning against InuYasha in the doorframe of their bedroom. He helped her to Makoto's side and set her down next to him.

"That's what I could like to know. What happened here?" he asked looking at the three others.

"I'm not completely sure, InuYasha, but from what I witnessed I do believe Makoto was purified."

"Purified!" they all replied.

Miroku nodded. "Purified."

InuYasha glared at the ex-monk. "And how was he purified?"

"By Gina."

"By Gina! And how is that possible?"

"Well, InuYasha, when two people, in this case an inu-hanyou and a miko, love each other very much they…"

"Look, letch, you say something perverted and those girls of yours will be calling another man in the village otou-san very soon."

Miroku cleared his throat. "Okay… I'll go straight to the point then, shall I? When you and Kagome…had pups…there was always a chance that a miko would be produced. Kagome is after all, a miko."

"Are you trying to tell me Gina is a miko? I'm not stupid, Miroku. You know as well as I do that Gina is a hanyou. There's no way she can be a hanyou and a miko."

"On the contrary, she may not be a hanyou after all." All eyes fell on the ex-monk. "You would agree with me, InuYasha, when I say little is known of the pups of hanyou, am I correct?" InuYasha nodded. "Not many hanyou, live, long enough to have pups. Who's to say what the pup of a hanyou and miko could produce? Another hanyou? Yes. Makoto and Mehiji are proof of that much. A miko? Maybe. My opinion, our little Gina is neither hanyou nor a miko, but, for the lack of a better word, a hybrid of the two."

"So Gina is the cross between a hanyou and a miko, both youkai and priestess blood?" Kagome asked from her position above Makoto, already tending to his wounds.

Miroku nodded. "That is my opinion. Makoto and Mehiji received youkai blood from InuYasha and human blood from Kagome, making them hanyou. But with Gina, she received both youkai blood and Kagome's more dormant miko blood. Somehow the two bloods have learned to co-exist within her. As it seems her purification power is not a danger to herself, but to InuYasha, Makoto, and Kita it could become very painful. And with Shippou, maybe even deadly."

"A hanyou _and_ a miko, huh?" InuYasha pondered to himself. Where had Miroku gotten all this crap? There's no way _his_ daughter could be some sort of hybrid, could there? She did act a bit strange at times. And during her human nights she just wasn't…human, per say.

"Well my friend," Miroku started as he stood to leave the hut, "it has been an…interesting visit, but Sango and I have our duties to fulfill in a nearby village."

"Another youkai attack?" InuYasha questioned.

"Yes. It seems they are restless. My lady and I have had more than enough jobs lately to last us for awhile."

"Keep your eyes open, Miroku. I don't like any of this one bit."

Miroku nodded. "Neither do I InuYasha. And I have a bad feeling that this is just the beginning."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Owww…owwww…..owwwww! Jeeze, Okaa, that hurts you know!"

Kagome scrapped the rest of the burned skin from where Gina had been touching his arms and chest, covering the wounds with healing herbs and bandaging them loosely. "Quiet down, Makoto. It's just a little sting."

"A little sting!" If Makoto had his hanyou ears at that point they would be flattened on his head with an I-don't-think-so glare. "How long do you think I'll be human, anyway?" he continued to whine.

"As soon as the purifying energy wears off would be my guess."

"And you said there were a lot of these boar-youkai?" InuYasha asked as he popped Makoto's shoulder back into place.

Makoto winced. "Yea. Tons of them. Right outside the village, too. You have any idea why there would be so many so close?"

"No idea. But Sango and Miroku have been called off to a nearby village because of youkai attacks. That's the fourth time in three weeks." InuYasha settled down holding the sleeping Gina in his arms.

Makoto rotated his newly fixed arm in its socket. "Yea. They usually wouldn't dare come near the villages around here. They're either getting very brave or very stupid. Either way you look at it, something must be happening to drive them out." He looked toward Kita who was deep in thought. She was bandaged up almost as much as he. Makoto had to admit, she was a pretty good fighter when it came down to it.

"O-ya-ee!" Mehiji crawled across the floor of the hut to InuYasha's arms.

Makoto looked at the two pups and thought back to the attack, a question had been lingering in the back of his mind since then. "Why did Gina purify me? I mean, come on! It's not like she didn't know who I was."

"It wasn't you, Makoto. She felt danger and her miko powers took over. Just like your youkai blood has acted up with you." Kagome paused at his blunt expression. "Yes, I know about your almost transformation, and we'll have to do something about that, too."

"I think we should try to figure out what's got the youkai so riled up first." InuYasha's eye twitched. "And I think I know just the flea with the answers." He slapped his neck and pulled back none other than Myouga.

"Augh…do you have to be so hard on this old flea, InuYasha-sama? Really, even your brother has more respect for me then you do."

"Huh? What have you been doing with Sesshomaru?" InuYasha asked with an accusing glare.

"That is what I have come to tell you about, InuYasha-sama. Your brother and the other inu of the Western Lands are under siege. A fierce battle is taking place even as we speak. Your brother's entire kingdom is on the verge of collapse!"

"And I guess you came here to drag me into it too, huh? Keh. Who knew that Sesshomaru would need his hanyou half-brother to fight his wars for him?"

"What could possibly be stupid enough to attack Oji-san in his own lands?"

"That's what makes the situation so unthinkable." Myouga sat in Makoto's palm with a stern look across his face. "The very people Sesshomaru-sama is leading and protecting are starting to turn against him. Over half the inu in the castle have already turned against him, and have declared war against the lord and his remaining faithful followers."

"Keh. This is about the little brat and that youkai getting married, isn't it?"

"Well, my lord, yes and no. The traitors started with a youkai in which you are well acquainted with I believe, by the name of Haru." InuYasha and Kagome flinched. "He and his eldest son, Taru, gathered alliances within the castle. When they tried to persuade the younger brother, Yukio, young Rin's mate, he refused and informed Sesshomaru-sama of the uprising. That's when the beginning of the battles in the Western Lands began." Myouga shifted uncomfortably from the stares.

"Who's Haru?" Makoto asked.

"Keh. An inu from the castle long ago. We met him right before I killed Suoh. Sesshomaru kicked him out of the castle for trying to go against his orders of leaving us alone." InuYasha answered with a loud growl.

"Sesshomaru-sama has kept the battle away from the castle, but that is sure not to last. I suggest that you leave now, before the battle really heats up." Myouga interrupted.

"Keh. What makes you think I want to help Sesshomaru anyway?" he huffed.

"InuYasha-sama," Myouga started with a sigh, "if not for your brother, then for his family and yours!"

"Oi! What does this have to do with MY family!"

"Oyaji, what about Keiji? Quit being such a baka about this!"

"That and Haru seeks his revenge for the humiliation of being cast out because of a human!"

"…Kagome?"

Myouga nodded, InuYasha growled. "Haru was against your father mating your mother, but was unable to do anything about it at the time. He must have thought of Sesshomaru differently until he took on the human girl. When you and Lady Kagome were allowed in the castle as guests, his resolve snapped."

"He was kicked out of the castle. So what? He didn't like it there anyway."

Myouga raised an eyebrow. "That isn't the only thing that happened. A few weeks after your departure, Haru was helped by Taru back into the castle and into the young Rin's room." Myouga paused. "When Sesshomaru-sama found them, he not only cast them out of the castle, but he removed them from his line completely."

"The crescent moon burned on his forehead…" Makoto mused aloud. Even the very mark of the line was removed.

"So you see, InuYasha-sama, Haru and his followers will be coming here, now that they have found you, and seek to kill the pups and Lady Kagome as well as yourself." There was a mutual silence through the hut. Only the sound of Gina and Mehiji's light snore was heard. Kita couldn't look anyone in the eye. It was her fault they were found. Sensing her sudden gloom, Makoto pulled her closer with an arm wrapped around her waist.

"What about Okaa and the pups?" he asked.

InuYasha thought, then let out a defeated sigh. "They're coming with us. Leaving them here with Miroku and Sango would be too risky." He ran a finger gently down the sleeping Gina's cheek.

"I'll go as well." Shippou stated.

InuYasha nodded. "But I have something else I want you to do first. We'll talk later."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Now Sango, my sweet, you know I…"

"Save it Miroku. I don't even want to talk to you right now. Let's just get this over with so we can get back home."

The headman of the village bowed, as did Sango and Miroku. "I am very grateful that the two of you have come. Your reputation exceeds you."

"It's really no problem." She glared at Miroku. "I need to vent a bit of frustration and taking the heads of a few youkai just might settle it a bit."

The headman looked confusingly between the two before he figured whatever was going on was none of his business, and handed Sango a small bag of coins. "It is not much, but it is all we can afford. These youkai have been terrorizing the village for weeks on end!"

Sango put the bag back in the man's hand and closed his fist around it. "There's no need for payment. The materials from serpent-youkai are enough of a payment for this job, and it's all we require." The man smiled and said his thanks. "Around what time of day do the youkai attack?"

"Only a few more moments, at dusk. Always dusk, right when the sun goes down. These do not like the light of the sun."

"Don't worry. After tonight, your village will be safe again." Miroku chipped in. Sango sent him a death glare, flipping her head to the side and slapping his face with her high ponytail. The headman gave one last nod before heading back to the village, leaving a very peeved exterminator and very confused monk behind.

"Sango, darling, wha…"

"Save it, Miroku. Here they come."

Sure enough, right below the horizon, beings with greenish-blue scales slowly appeared. Sango shifted Hiraikotsu's weight off her shoulder and readied her fighting stance. Miroku sighed and did the same, bringing his staff in front of him with one hand and holding ofuda in the other. Soon the battle had begun. The youkai they faced were no more than dumb snake youkai, but the number of them seemed to grow with each that fell.

Sango jumped on Kirara's back, chunking Hiraikotsu down at the beasts and killing a few in the process. Kirara growled, touching back down on the ground and claws taking out even more of the beasts. One of the snakes managed to wrap itself around the leg of the fire-cat, sinking it's poison fangs into the furry flesh. Kirara roared and bit down on the youkai, effectively slinging the thing to pieces. Sango took a moment to make sure the poison did not effect Kirara before ordering her to take to the skies once more. There was only a small piece of the moon shinning through the clouded skies, with the sun going down it was hard for Sango to see anything, so she had to trust in Kirara's eyes and senses to guide her.

Miroku was busy with his own battles. He whacked one of the youkai over the head with his staff and threw an ofuda at another. The youkai instantly dispersed into ash. Miroku looked at Sango to make sure she was faring well. From what he could see, she was doing much better than he himself. Kirara was a great asset to have around, especially in night battles. The fire burning from the cat's tail gave out just enough light on the ground so Miroku could follow along and take out some of the youkai himself. Miroku glanced back as Sango and Kirara made another sweep across the ground and smiled. He would never have to worry about her in a battle, but that never stopped him from worrying anyway.

With the last of the youkai extinguished, Miroku walked toward Sango with a grin on his face with every intention of showing her how great of a 'job' she had done with the youkai, showing her in his own way of course. The cold glare stopped him in his tracks. "Sango, my sweet, please don't tell me you're still mad abo.." He was stopped short, ducking from Hiraikotsu. "SANGO! All I said was that your slayer uniform fits you a bit more snug than it use to! I don.."

"SNUG! I know what you are implying, _Miroku_, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE IT!"

"I wasn't implying anything, I swear! I like the way it fits you. It shows off your curves very well, I might say." He gave her the lecherous grin he was so famous for.

"MIROKU!"

Miroku flinched as Sango raised her fist to him. "Sango, please, just excuse my ignorance and stupidity… darling? S-sango!" :WACK: The ex-monk went down with a fresh handprint across his cheek. He groaned his agony into the dirt and waited awhile before peeling himself back to his feet. Sango had already left his side, taking a few bundles from where she had previously laid them on the ground and started walking the battlefield. Miroku continued to watch her from a safe distance.

Sango knelt down beside a few of the fallen youkai, inspecting it with little to no enthusiasm. She pulled out a small dagger and set to work. The first thing she took, of course, was the small gem located on the forehead or the tail of the snake youkai. The gem didn't mean anything to her, but Kagome could use the gem to make antidotes for various poisons. The next to go where the larger green-blue scales on the upper portion of the youkai. The scales there where thick and would make great armor. Finishing up with a few more of the youkai, and taking anything she deemed of value, Sango walked past her husband, hopping on Kirara and heading back to the village.

Miroku sighed as he watched his wife take off without him. He took to his task of praying to eliminate any chances of the youkai's auras escaping, but his mind was anywhere but on task. What had he done that was so wrong, anyway? The slayer's suit did fit Sango a bit more snuggly, but Miroku was, dare I say, 'turned on', by the new way it allowed her body to express itself. She had gained a bit of weight, sure, but that did not bother Miroku in the least. After all the battles, nearly constant fighting, the deal with Naraku, and giving birth to four children, he was surprised she hadn't looked worse for wear, not that he wouldn't have loved her any less if she did.

Finishing up, Miroku picked up his staff and made his way back to the small inn where they were staying. Many of the villagers were standing around Sango and the fire-cat, congratulating and thanking her, no doubt. He just stood there for a few moments, until the headman finally shooed away the crowd and Sango walked into the inn. He waited until he knew she had had enough time to take a bath in the bathhouse and get changed before he walked quietly in. Sango was on the other side of the small room, unrolling her futon with Kirara curled up at her side.

"Sango?" he whispered softly. Her reaction was the last thing Miroku expected. Slap him? Sure, he probably deserved it for his earlier offhanded comments. Slug him? Why not, she was a bit more moody than usual. What she _did _do instead, she turned around and all but glomped him. The stunned Miroku gently wrapped his arms around her waist as hers clung around his neck. Nothing else was said. There was no need. They were both entering a new phase in their lives, and this was just part of it.

**A/N:**

**Yes, I had to put a bit more Miroku/Sango into the story. Dare I say I 'missed' his perverted ways?**

**Go to http/ kachikitsucasa dot proboards104 dot com**

**For reviewer points, update info., my new Q&A board where I answer questions on my fics, discussions, and forum games.**


	24. Toutousai

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 24: Toutousai**

InuYasha handed Shippou a small leather pouch, all the while using one hand to rub the side of his cheek and mumbling incoherent words to himself. "You've got three days, Shippou. After that, we're leaving for the castle with or without you. And I have no doubt that Makoto will need that sword before this fight is over."

"Three days? It'll take that long just to get Toutousai to remember who you are!" the kit complained.

"Just do it Shippou. If you're not back in time you're smart enough to find your own way to the castle."

Shippou nodded, putting the pouch into a bigger traveling bag and tossing it over his shoulder. "Alright, alright. Three days, jeez, Oyaji. I'll make it back as soon as I can, but with Tani coming with me, it'll be a bit harder. That woman is relentless if she wants to stop for the night."

"Shippou! I am **not** relentless! I just like sleeping through the night like normal people, instead of running when the sky is pitch black." Tani threw her traveling pack at Shippou (who gave out a prominent 'ooof' at the sudden weight) crossed her arms and pouted, turning her head to the side and glancing back to Shippou.

InuYasha rolled his eyes at the all too familiar display from the girl and rubbed his cheek again. "Just get the old man to make the sword and get back here. I don't want to waste anymore time then we already have. Haru isn't that strong, but I'm not willing to risk anything on that fact."

Shippou nodded his head, slinging Tani's pack over one shoulder and grabbing her hand with the other. He might as well head straight from Toutousai's to Sesshomaru's castle. It would take at least a day and a half to get there traveling with Tani. He loved her, kami, he loved her, but Shippou was a pushover because of how much he loved her. If she wanted to stop, he had no choice but to stop for her. It was in his nature not to deny his mate of anything she wanted, especially when she was with kit. After only three hours of walking, she was already at it.

"Shippou, can we please stop for awhile? I'm tired and hungry." The human woman looked up at Shippou through her big eyes and long eyelashes, batting them at her mate with a questioning gaze. Shippou huffed and rolled his eyes, but put down their two traveling bags and motioned her to sit down and rest. "Thank you, Shippou." She smiled.

Shippou sighed and sat down next to his mate, pulling food from his bag and handing it to Tani. "You know oyaji is gonna murder me if we're not back before they leave."

"Kagome-sama won't let him." She replied, already munching on a rice ball. Shippou reached over and stole a bite from Tani, receiving a glare from the girl in return. "Who is this Toutousai supposed to be, anyway?"

"Toutousai was a servant of sorts for Oyaji's father. He's the one who forged the Tetsusaiga out of the lord's fang."

"Eww. So… we're taking InuYasha-sama's fang to this youkai to make a sword for Makoto, right?" Shippou nodded. "And this sword is supposed to seal his youkai blood so next time he goes loopy he won't end up hurting anyone, right?" Shippou nodded again. "Why didn't InuYasha-sama just go himself?"

Shippou nearly choked on his rice ball. He narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Hmm, I dunno." He started sarcastically, "Could it be because in the past few months Makoto nearly got himself killed, Okaa nearly died giving birth to the pups, Gina DID die and now has some freaky miko/hanyou thing going on that, by the way, could kill ME, and oh, an inu-youkai and his minions are out seeking revenge for something that happened over a decade ago!"

"So?"

Shippou shook his head. "Hurry and finish eating. We've gotta get moving again, soon. I want to get there before dark, which means we've got a lot of land to cover in little time."

Tani rapped up the rest of the food and placed it back in her bag. "I'm tired Shippou."

"Hop on then, I'll carry you for awhile." Shippou wrapped the bags across his shoulder and helped Tani climb onto his back. She laid her head on his other shoulder and thanked him with a kiss to the neck.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Toutousai? Hey, old man! Are you in there!" Shippou dropped the bags outside the old youkai's hut and waited. "Toutousai?"

"Does he even live here anymore? It doesn't look like anyone has lived here in years." Tani stated, looking around the grounds.

"He's lived here for centuries. It's always looked like this. Now just were did that old geezer get off to…? Toutousai!"

"Heh?" Toutousia appeared from behind Shippou. Shippou jumped at the old youkai's sneakiness and glared at him. "What's with all the yelling? Who are you?"

"I'm Shippou, InuYasha's son, remember?" Inwardly Shippou cringed. This old guy probably couldn't remember what happened five minutes ago, much less years ago. How was he suppose to explain who he was?

"Hmmmm…InuYasha… I remember him." Shippou grinned. He actually remembered! "Yes, InuYasha. Such a nice kitsune. A bit short, and whiney, but then again maybe all kitsunes are like that…"

"That was me, you old geezer, Shippou. InuYasha was the stubborn inu-hanyou with the big shiny sword. Do you remember him or not?" Shippou growled out, a bit more annoyed at being confused with InuYasha then being called short and whiney. _All kitsunes **are** like that. Hhmp._

"A sword you say? That wouldn't be the Tetsusaiga would it?"

"Yes! Yes, the Tetsusaiga! InuYasha is the one who broke the Tetsusaiga and you repaired it. InuYasha sent me to get you to make his son a sword with his fang." Shippou reached into his bag and pulled out InuYasha's fang, handing it to the old youkai as he carefully looked it over.

"InuYasha sent you to give me this?" Shippou nodded. "And… you are…?"

Shippou nearly growled. "I'M INUYASHA'S SON! THE SHORT, WHINEY, KITSUNE!"

"So you want me to make you a sword with this?"

"Not me, his other son, Makoto."

"So this sword is for Makoto?" Shippou nodded and sighed. Maybe the old geezer was finally understanding. "And…who is this Makoto?"

"INUYASHA'S SON!"

"InuYasha has a son?"

This time Shippou did growl. "**YES**. InuYasha has three sons and one daughter. **I**," Shippou pointed to himself, "was sent **here**," he pointed to the ground, "to give **you** the **fang**," he pointed to Toutousai and the hand holding InuYasha's fang, "so you can make my **brother** a sword, like the **Tetsusaiga**."

Toutousia blinked at Shippou. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Shippou glared at Tani who was now rolling on the ground laughing so hard she had to hold her sides to keep them from aching so much.

"So you'll do it?"

"Ehe… yes. Yes, I will. Come back tomorrow around noon. Your sword should be ready by then."

Shippou's tale twitched as he grabbed his bag with one hand and helped Tani to her feet with the other. She smirked and pranced out in front of him, occasionally glancing back only to turn back around giggling. He smirked to himself, dropping the bags and running toward the girl. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around in the air, stopping and turning her to face him. She slapped his shoulder with her hand and crossed her arms in a pout.

"Baka."

Shippou nodded. "Yea, but you love me anyway." He leaned down and kissed her lips, rubbing his hand across her belly. Tani was the kind of woman that wasn't going to show a bit of pregnancy until the last couple of weeks. She had a slight bulge around her stomach, but not enough to really notice unless you were looking for it. Shippou let out a heavy sigh. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't worried. He worried for Tani like InuYasha did everyday for Kagome while she was pregnant for the second time. But carrying a kitsune was much easier then carrying and inu pup. Kitsune were very small at birth, to make it easier for their parents to hide them if danger were to come. Tani would be fine. Their kit was going to be fine. Shippou would just have to remember that. Tani's yawn finally broke Shippou from his thoughts.

"Can we please fine somewhere to stay for the night? I'm tired." She laid her head on his shoulder and leaned against him.

"Sorry, Tani, but we're gonna have to sleep outside again. The nearest village is too far away to go just for the night. Besides, I want to be close to Toutousia's because as soon as he gets that sword finished we've got to head back." Tani pouted, but eventually gave in, unrolling her and Shippou's mat on the hard ground and almost instantly falling asleep as soon as she laid down.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Shippou tapped his foot as he waited once again outside Toutousia's hut. It was already noon and the old youkai told him to wait outside a bit longer. They didn't have any longer! They had to get back as soon as they could **with** the stupid sword. _What's with Oyaji and swords, anyway?_ Shippou asked himself. _I mean, it would have been a lot easier and less time consuming for him to ask Toutousai to make charm or something with his fang that could seal Makoto's blood. _

Tani sat on the ground next to him with a very bored expression on her face. Shippou was mumbling to himself again, the old guy was too creepy, and she could have sworn she saw some type of cow flying above her, which now had her ducking for cover from what it might 'drop' down on her. She reached down and grabbed a hand full of dirt, letting it slip through her fingers as she watched it get carried away by the wind. Yup, she was bored alright. With no one to talk to, and, unlike Shippou at the moment, she didn't see the point in talking to herself. So, she did what any bored-out-of-her-mind woman with a youkai for a mate would do. Tani picked up a rock her hands had stumbled upon and chunked it toward the grumbling Shippou, quickly acting as if a nearby bird had her full attention the entire time.

After the rock making contact with the back of Shippou's head, he looked up only to see a flying four-legged creature going right over him and the hut. He took a quick sniff to make sure nothing…crude… had fallen, shrugging his shoulders and started to carry about with his grumbling and foot tapping again. Tani smirked as she reared her hand back with another rock firmly in place, only to let out a loud gasp as she was suddenly sent backwards to the ground. Shippou pinned down her arms, making her drop the rock from her hand. Her mate looked down at her and shook his head as a parent would do a disobedient child and clicked his tongue.

"Tani, Tani, Tani." He sighed. "You really shouldn't be throwing stones at your mate, you know."

Tani giggled. "And why is that?"

Shippou smirked. "Because I just might to decide to do something about it."

"That that would be…?"

"Ahem." Before Shippou could answer, Toutousai stepped up behind them with the sword wrapped up in a piece of rugged brown cloth.

"It's done?" Shippou asked.

"That it is. A fine piece of work, if I do say so myself. Much thanks to the power behind the fang, this sword may well be Tetsusaiga's match, if not its superior."

Shippou reached out to grab the sword that was offered to him, but pulled back at the last second. "I'm youkai. Will this sword allow me to carry it?"

Toutousai nodded. "Very much so. This sword can distinguish between friend and foe"

He took the sword from Toutousai and carefully unwrapped it. The first thing he noticed was the scabbard, made of a glossy black youkai skin covering a redwood holder. Whatever youkai the hide was from was tough and served it purpose well. Shippou let his eyes wander to the hilt. The same glossy black hide was used on the handle, but interwoven to create a better grip, the hilt itself and the bunt of the sword made of a metal of sorts that seemed to change colors as Shippou turned it in his hand. He took it out of the scabbard to find the blade made of the same metal.

"Does it have a name?"

"Touken. But the bearer should be warned. The sword will keep the hanyou from raging into his youkai form, but it will also allow his true nature to come forth. Heed this warning; it should not be ignored, for there is a darkness inside us all that can easily take control when given the right moment."

Shippou looked back down at the sword in his hands. _Your true nature will come forth…_ He thought to himself. What was that suppose to mean? True nature? Makoto was a hanyou. Wasn't that his true nature? And was with all that talk about 'darkness inside us all'? Shippou laughed inwardly. _The old geezer is senile. Who knows what's going through that cobwebbed head of his?_

"Thanks, Toutousia. I'll be sure to tell him." He rewrapped the sword in its cloth and gathered his and Tani's bags. "Come on, Tani."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Home, home, home!" Tani chanted as she swung her and Shippou's hand into the air.

"Don't get too comfortable. We're leaving again as soon as Oyaji sees fit, which is probably right when he catches our sent in the village." Shippou smirked as he heard the girl next to him let out a loud sigh. "As soon as we get to the castle you can sleep all you want. Sesshomaru has plenty of servants; you won't have to do anything."

"Shippou!" Cho, followed close behind by her two younger sisters, ran up the path from the village. The three young girls threw themselves at Shippou and clung to his haori. "Shippou, Oji needs you! A bunch of youkai attacked Oba and the babies!"

Shippou handed the bags over to Tani and pried the girls loose. "Where's Makoto and the others?"

"They're helping Oji, but there's so many!" Hana replied with watery eyes.

Shippou sighed and bent down on his knees, grabbing the girls' hands in his own. "I've got to go help them now, okay? Sango, Miroku and the others will be fine, but I've got to see what's happening. We'll all be back as soon as we can, I promise." When the girls nodded he stood back up and turned to Tani, holding one of her hands in his and cupped her cheek with the other. "I'll be back. Take the girls to Kisho and Mai's and tell them what's going on. Don't leave the village for anything." He gave Tani one last kiss on the cheek and turned to leave only to be stopped by her voice.

"I love you, Shippou."

Shippou smiled. "I love you, too, Tani."

**A/N:**

**Awwwww……**

**Next Chapters: A small fight to glance at what is to come, Makoto gets his sword, Kita's confrontation with Sesshomaru, the fight with Haru and his son, and the battle of the Westernlands.**

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**From what anime did the quote: "A sword used to defend cannot afford to fail" appear in? It's worth three extra points!**


	25. The Battle Has Begun

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.

**Chapter 25: The Battle Has Begun**

**Warning: May contain coarse and graphic violence. Not suitable for the young or faint of heart.**

Makoto and Kita packed silently side by side on the third afternoon of Shippou and Tani's journey. They hadn't spoken very much since that day with the boar youkai. Kita's mind was wondering so far sometimes Makoto had to call her quite a few times just to get her attention. Her thoughts were on the past, things she was forced to do and things she gave-in to; being attacked at Sesshomaru's castle; the battle with her former master that was lurking ahead of her. She used to be a great fighter. Any hanyou who went out alone had to be to survive, but her injuries were deep, and there was no way she could move as fast as she used to. If there was going to be a big battle, there wasn't much she could do to help her new found friends.

The worst part about it, she was the reason these nice people were getting into a war. Before she came along they were all living happily and peaceful. Now they had to leave their home behind to go fight in some stupid war. Some friend she turned out to be. Kita finished packing the few sets of clothes she owned, kimonos that Kagome had given to her, and tied the straps across her shoulders. She headed to the door to wait outside for everyone else to get ready.

"Kita?" She stopped and turned at Makoto's voice. He was kneeling on the floor gathering his own things for the journey.

"Hm?"

"Did I……… are you……" he sighed. "Never mind. I'll be out as soon as I finish here."

Kita nodded and pushed the bamboo curtain aside. Outside the wind was blowing her hair across her face. He was wanting to say something to her. What was it? Everything about this entire situation had her so up tight that one little question lingering in her mind turned into thousands of bigger questions. What if someone were to get hurt? What if she was taken control of again? What if they lost the battle? What if she lost Makoto, or Makoto lost her? Would he be sad? Would he morn her dead? Would he ever understand just how sorry she was for all the trouble she had caused? A strong arm around her waist ceased all thoughts for the time being.

Makoto couldn't help but feel the tension between him and Kita. It was like a thick fog blocking her from his view. She was creating a shield around herself, trying to block everyone out like she was before they met. He didn't want to loose her, especially not like that. "Whatever happens after today, Kita, just happens. No regrets. No carrying the fate of the world on your shoulders. No more being alone."

"Makoto,… I'm…"

"I'm not going to let you do this to yourself. I'm not going to let you go. I care too much for you to drown in your own self-doubt. I need you just as much as you've needed me and nothing you've done or nothing you will do can change that." Makoto nuzzled the back of her neck and sighed again. "I'll be here, waiting for you. I'm not going to force you into anything when you're still not sure. But, please, remember I'm still here too, and I'll always be here."

"You two better be ready by the time Shippou gets back!" InuYasha's command interrupted.

"We are, Oyaji!" Makoto sighed as he answered back.

"That goes for you, too, Kagome. Everything that you'll need for you, the pups, and anything else better be packed before Shippou gets here or it'll just get left behind." InuYasha yelled through the door of the hut. His reply was nothing more than having a sandal thrown in his face. "Oi, wench! Just get packed already!"

"I'll finish packing when I'm good and ready BAKA!"

InuYasha crossed his arms and growled. "Keh. I'm going to make sure Miroku and Sango are ready to go. When I get back all of you better be ready."

Makoto shook his head as he watched InuYasha head for the village. He wondered why his Okaasan didn't just sock it to his Oyaji sometimes.

"Makoto?"

He turned to the wolf-hanyou beside him. "Hmm?"

"Something's not right, here. I'm sensing something…I can't figure it out. Can you feel it?"

Makoto closed his eyes and concentrated of the feelings around him. He sniffed the air, nothing. He listen, nothing but birds, animals, the rustling of the trees in the wind, Kagome walking back and forth gathering things inside the hut, nothing out of the ordinary. But there was something in the air, something that made him a bit uneasy. "Something's here. Watching."

"Makoto…"

"Shhh." He held a finger to her lips. Makoto concentrated harder on his surroundings. Yes, something was out there. A lot of somethings. Almost like they were…SURROUNDED! "Kita, get to the hut and stay there." He said in a calm, whispering voice. "Tell Okaa to keep the pups close and stay hidden."

"What's going on?"

"Just do it, Kita." Her grabbed her roughly by the chin and forced her to look directly at his face. "If something happens to me get Okaa and the pups and head straight to the village to find Oyaji and Miroku." Kita opened her mouth to speak but Makoto shook his head. "Go to the village. As fast as you can. No heroics." He watched as the girl followed his command and silently disappeared into the hut. He sighed and turned back toward the forest, walking forward with his eyes scanning the horizon.

The wind had a strange flow, going every which way, making it hard for Makoto to get any kind of scent from it. He had no doubt that it was the work of some kind of wind-youkai hiding in the forest. That wasn't the only thing out there, though. It took a lot of concentration, but he was slowly being able to sense dozens of creatures in the surrounding forest. Something was also trying to mask their presence, and doing a rather good job of it as the youkai had been able to get right up to the edge of the forest without any of them being able to sense it. There was a rustle on the far edge of the trees as three figures stepped out and stared at him.

The one in the middle was defiantly their leader, a rather cocky looking inu-youkai male. There were two other inu-youkai on either side of him. The one on the right, an older female with a scar covering the entire right side of her face. The youkai on the leader's left was a male inu-youkai with a huge body, but it didn't look like it had much brains. Makoto waited. The youkai just stood there, looking straight back at him. He growled. The leader inu smirked, raising his hand in front of him, and snapped his fingers.

What happen next happened quickly and precisely. As soon as Makoto heard the snap, whatever spells that were around the forest shattered and with it came the sounds and smells of not a dozen or so youkai like he first predicted, but an uncountable measure lurking just behind the trees. Makoto growled as the first line of youkai started to step out, each wearing their own smirks and toothy grins. Bat, centipede, boar, rat, inu, various reptile and bird, Makoto could even smell a few panther youkai. It was an army of youkai, mostly dumb creatures, but the multitude of creatures was what Makoto was worried with. There was no way he could hold them off for very long… absolutely no way…

He ran as fast as he could to the hut, poking his head inside. "Kita get Okaasan and the pups and get to Oyaji as fast as you can."

"Makoto, I sense all kinds of things out there, what's going on?"

"Just listen to me and go! NOW!"

Kita nodded, and Kagome looked at him with sad eyes. She feared for Makoto, but she had to take care of her pups. "Be careful."

Makoto ushered his Okaa and Kita with the pups out the door and down the path. When they were out of his sight, he turned back around to face the youkai. An entire front line of them now stood at the forest's edge. The three inu still remained unmoved from their original place. By this time Makoto was on the edge of freaking out. Sure, he had fought more than one youkai before, and he wasn't half bad a fighter, but he wasn't as big of a fighter as InuYasha. But he couldn't let these youkai into the village. There were too many innocent people, his entire family.

The inu-youkai in the middle nodded, and several of the youkai lurched at Makoto all at once. He growled out as he was jumped from all sides. His claws slashed at a snake-youkai that was wrapping itself around his legs, spilling a bluish-green blood across the ground. The youkai shrieked and turned to bite Makoto's side. He growled away the pain and slashed the youkai again, effectively slicing off the head that still had fangs digging into his flesh. As Makoto turned to attack a rather chunky-sized youkai to his right, another good sized youkai grabbed his left arm, stopping the attack.

Now both Makoto's arms were being held back, immobilizing his upper body from the fight. He flipped backwards, effectively freeing his arms for a few moments. As he was taking down the larger youkai on his right, he grunted at the feel of claws slicing down his back. One of the panther-youkai had emerged from the forest and using its cat-like speed kept charging Makoto, leaving red scratches behind in its wake. The oversized youkai finally fell victim to Makoto's claws, leaving one less youkai for him to deal with.

Soon the lone hanyou found himself face to face with the ground, having been successfully thrown to the ground. One youkai had his arm pinned behind his back at a painful angle. Makoto flipped his legs over onto the youkai's shoulder, using the combination of his position and his strong leg muscles to snap the youkai's neck in one smooth motion. Back on his feet, Makoto threw his shoulder back, cracking his bones back into place without a wince. He didn't have time for pain. A horde of snake youkai were covering the entire ground around Makoto, making it feel as if the very ground around him was alive.

The sky started to darken greatly, and looking up Makoto found out why. Dozens of the birds-of-paradise hovered just above him, squawking and clawing at each other in anticipation for their chance at the inu-hanyou. The panther-youkai finally came face to face with him. It was on all fours, its eyes glowing red, the black fur standing on end, the muscles rippling as it readied itself to pounce. As the panther leaped toward him, Makoto grabbed it by the tail and slung it into a rat-youkai coming up by his side. The two collided in mid air and fell backwards into the onslaught of youkai behind them.

The battle raged on. For how long, mere moments had passed, but by the time his strength and energy started to give out, dozens upon dozens of youkai lay unmoving at his feet. His clothes were soaked in blood from his own wounds as well as from the fallen youkai. Throughout the entire ordeal, the three inu stood off to the side out of harms way. Makoto fell to his knees, planting one fisted palm on the ground to hold him up as he tried to catch his breath. Just as he thought the fighting was almost over, a fresh line of youkai stepped out of the forest, two huge oni on either side of the line. The birds-of-paradise swooped down, feasting on the flesh of the fallen. They were there as vultures, just to clean up the battlefield. If he didn't have to save his breath to try and stand up to fight again, Makoto would have chuckled at the thought.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kita was doing her best to stay calm while carrying Mehiji in one arm and trying to support Kagome and Gina with her other. The miko had ran as fast and as long as she could, but her energy was becoming spent fast. As soon as they had left the hut, Kita could sense the horde of youkai surrounding the small clearing. Kagome must not have been using any of her miko powers, for she didn't show any signs of sensing the danger her first born was in. There must have been another spell surrounding the village, cause the closer to the village Kita and the miko got, the less she was able to sense from the forest. Even the strange wind had returned and blocked out her senses.

Unknown to any of the group, a few of the youkai had managed to sneak past Makoto and had followed Kita, Kagome, and the pups right up to just outside the village. By the time Kita had finally caught a scent, the youkai were circled around them, edging closer and eying Kagome and the helpless pups. Among the youkai were two boar-youkai, obviously from the same western tribe as the ones before; one huge rat-youkai; three snake youkai; and one giant bug-like youkai with a hard exoskeleton composed of tiny spikes.

Kita lowered Kagome to the ground, giving her Mehiji to hold and took a defensive stance in front of the three. The youkai were all red-eyed; grunting, shrieking, and gnarling at the wolf-hanyou as she growled back at them. The boar and rat were the first to attack. Kita managed to gut one of the boar in the first charge, having gained experience with the beast in her last battle. The other boar seemed to become even more infuriated with the girl. It dug its tusks into the dirt, scrapping with its hooves and snorting through its snout. The rat-youkai and snake-youkai attacked from three different angles.

One of the snakes managed to wrap itself around Kita's throat as she tried to pry away the fangs of the rat-youkai from her right forearm. The other two snakes held her legs firmly in place, disabling her from being able to use them to defend herself and the others. The boar was getting ready to charge again, and at the last moment before impact Kita threw her arm around causing the rampaging youkai to collide with the rat-youkai attached to her arm. The fangs of the rat left deep gouges as it was tossed to the side by the boar's tusks and Kita was able to slice the snake around her neck in half and take a deep, welcomed breath of fresh air into her lungs.

The crying the pups were doing only succeeded in making the youkai even angrier. Kagome tried her best, rocking them back and forth and cooing them to get the two a bit more quite. One of the snake decided Mehiji would make a good snack, slithering toward the pup with an opened mouth. Kita was too busy trying to ward off the rampaging boar-youkai to notice. Kagome raised her had just as the snake got in range and shot out a blast of her miko powers. She couldn't find enough strength to project a killing blow, nor did she have enough for another shot at it. The snake-youkai received the blast directly in its face, causing the creature to shriek out loudly and squirm around in pain. Kagome pulled her pups closer and tried to hide them from view.

Kita had gutted the second boar-youkai and was now dealing with the last snake and the rat-youkai. The snake struck at her, but she managed to back-hand the creature, sending it straight back to the ground. Kita kicked the head in, feeling the skull crack with the force of her abuse. The rat-youkai went down only moments after that, leaving Kita panting and Kagome taking a deep sigh of relieve, but their relief was short-lived. The other youkai had been so quiet and out of the way that the two had almost forgotten about it, but now the creature had its full attention on them.

Kita had to cover her ears when a high-pitched whistling sound was emitted from the spiky bug-youkai. The bug started to puff out, the hard exoskeleton peeling back and the spikes growing smaller and smaller until they were completely covered by its squishy under-flesh. The high-pitched whistling stopped, replaced by a strange 'pooft' sounds, like air slowly being released…

Kita groaned as she figured out what was about to take place. She rushed back in front of Kagome and the pups, spreading out her arms in a protective stance and grimacing while she waited for the blow. The bug-youkia's exterior deflated and with it shot out thousands of the tiny needles. Kagome gasped as she heard dozens of the projectiles digging into flesh at once. Kita fell to one knee, gritting her teeth to keep herself from screaming out her pain. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, most of the spikes had merely grazed her, a few had embedded themselves in her flesh, but she would have to deal with that later because the bug was already producing more spikes. As it started to puff out again, Kita forced herself back to her feet in front of Kagome. _There was no way this is going to end well, _Kita thought to herself as she braced for the worst.

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Makoto braced himself as he flew through the air and landed smack dab into the side of his family's hut. The last remaining oni covered his gauged out eyes with one hand, swinging around blindly with the other. Makoto got back to his feet in a flash and met with the oni head on. He used his claws to climb up onto the back of the oni, reaching down through the flesh on its neck and snapping the windpipe with his hands. The oni fell face forward, leaving Makoto laid out huffing on the ground. He groaned as yet another line of youkai came forward from the forest.

He was hardly ready to go at it again, but he shrugged off his fatigue and stretched out his claws, fangs bore, but the new line of youkai never attacked. They stood just out of the trees, and parted in the center as if waiting for someone to pass though them. The inu were also looking to the empty spot as yet another youkai emerged from the trees. This one was different though, not just a bloodthirsty beast like the other youkai had been. And this youkai happed to be a female with long, slender legs; short, furry clothing; cobalt blue eyes, and black hair pulled into a high ponytail. She stood in the middle of the youkai with her hands placed confidently on her hips, every eye on her, including a very shocked and confused inu-hanyou.

"A-Akina?"

**A/N:**

**Lol. I know, I know, more PainMakoto. And I promise you more has yet to come for the entire group.**

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**Quiz, quiz….hmmmm…. alright. Try this one:**

**What anime does the name 'Tsukasa' come from, and for extra points, what is my reasoning for using that name as an alias? **


	26. The SheWolf Returns

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 26: The She-Wolf Returns**

InuYasha huffed to himself as he stepped up to the door of Miroku and Sango's hut. Stepping in, he found the two sitting around the fire sipping warm tea. He growled and they merely pointed to a corner of the hut where their bags were awaiting the journey.

"Keh."

"InuYasha, my friend, we have known you long enough to know exactly how you would react to a situation such as this. Sango and I have been ready since early this morning." Miroku commented.

"The sooner we get over their and I kill Haru, the sooner we can leave that baka's land. I don't want to stay there any longer then I have to."

"As usual."

"I don't trust any of them around my pups and Kagome!" he growled out, his eyes flashing red for a few brief moments. Miroku set down his tea and looked at Sango. She nodded and stood, going outside the door.

"I don't blame you on this either, InuYasha. If it were my lovely Sango and girls being threatened in such a way, I would be rather skeptical about staying there also. But, it's better for them to go with you where you can look after them, correct?" InuYasha nodded. "Sesshomaru and you may have had tussles in the past, but that's what it is, in the past. Though you two may still fight like cats and…well, like dogs, you know he would not allow any harm to come to you or your family, just as you wouldn't allow anything happen to your sister-in-law or nephew."

"Fine. But if ANYthing happens in that castle to ANY of my family so help me they're all going to pay for it with their lives." At that time, InuYasha's ears perked up and he turned his head.

"You feel it also?"

"Yea. It's strange, though. I feel something, but it keeps fading out on me."

Miroku nodded. "Some type of barrier, most likely to keep us from knowing something."

"Kagome…!" InuYasha rushed out of the hut, Miroku on his heels. Sango had already grabbed Hiraikotsu and jumped on Kirara's back. Miroku started to jump on the fire-cat's back, but found himself face to face with the dirt before he knew what was happening.

"It's an ambush!" Sango yelled as she took off on Kirara, scooping up Miroku on the way. Youkai were surrounding their small hut, lurkers coming out of the shadows.

"Okaasan!"

"Yumi!"

"I've got her, Sango!" InuYasha swooped down and picked the girl up before one of the youkai had a chance to use her as a scratching post. He set her down by her other sisters a good distance away. "Get out of here, find Mai and stay with her!"

"No, I want to help! I CAN help!" Cho yelled. She had already proven that she could fight youkai, hadn't she? She deserved a chance like this.

"Cho, you have to take Yumi and Hana with you. I'm counting on you to get them to Mai safely, can you do that?" Miroku asked.

Cho thought it over, and nodded. "I'll look after them, Otou."

"Good girl, now go!"

Youkai after youkai came and was slain. After dozens were dead the onslaught finally came to an end long enough for InuYasha to catch the scent of Kagome again. "Come on Miroku!"

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As the bug-youkai started to puff out again, Kita forced herself back to her feet in front of Kagome. _There is no way this is going to end well, _Kita thought to herself as she braced for the worst. The high-pitched whistling stopped and was replaced by the sound of air being released. She waited for the spikes to come shooting out, but it never came.

"Hiraikotsu!" a huge boomerang fell in front of her, implanting itself in the ground and blocking the oncoming spikes. Kita glanced to the sky to see Sango and Miroku riding on Kirara's back a few yards above her.

"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" A red blur jumped in front of the Hiraikotsu, claws flashing, slicing through the bug-youkai and sending green goop flying. Kagome was on her feet and running into InuYasha's open arms. "You okay, wench?"

"Yea, thanks to Kita."

InuYasha took Gina from Kagome and looked toward the wolf-hanyou girl. She had taken quite a beating from the youkai, but wasn't showing any of the wear. "Where's Makoto?" he asked.

"He's still back at the hut. The youkai came from the forest, dozens of them, he was holding them back…" Kita had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. He was still out there…with all the youkai…on his own… "I'm going after him."

"Keh. Not like that you're not." He put Gina in her arms. "You're staying with Kagome and the pups. Do NOT leave this village." Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and even InuYasha were all stunned when Kita started to growl deep in her throat.

"I've got to help Makoto." She said in a commanding voice.

InuYasha growled louder and with more force, making Kita take a couple of steps back and lower her ears. "You will do as I say and stay here."

"InuYasha…" Kagome put a hand on his shoulder.

"No, Kagome. She may have been though a lot in her life, but she's still just an impulsive pup that needs to learn to listen and she's going to learn it now." He turned back to Kita. "I didn't want you to stay here in the first place, but Makoto talked me into it. I don't exactly have a great record with wolves, but so far you have proven me wrong. You can stay for as long as you wish and I have no problems with it, but as long as you are here you WILL listen to me. You can't fight to your best ability right now, and you know it, so I'm TELLING you to STAY here. Is that clear!"

Kita lowered her ears and nodded.

"Good. Miroku, Sango, we're going after Makoto. Kita, take Kagome and the pups to Mai, the other girls should be there. And if Shippou gets back, send him to the hut as fast as possible."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Cho, Hana, and Yumi were running through the village franticly. Most of the villagers were running amuck as well, having already heard about the attacks around their small home. Many of the men where gathering weapons and such preparing for battle. The women ushered the children into huts, and those who had them sealed the doors and windows with sutras and other holy items meant to keep youkai from entering. The entire village was in an uproar by the time the girls spotted Shippou and Tani walking up one of the paths.

"Come on you two! We've got to tell Shippou to help!" Hana and Yumi ran behind Cho trying to keep up.

"Shippou!" Cho, followed close behind by her two younger sisters, ran up the path from the village. The three young girls threw themselves at Shippou and clung to his haori. "Shippou, Oji needs you! A bunch of youkai attacked Oba and the babies!"

Shippou pried the girls loose. "Where's Makoto and the others?"

"They're helping Oji, but there's so many!" Hana replied with watery eyes.

Shippou sighed and bent down on his knees, grabbing the girls' hands in his own. "I've got to go help them now, okay? Sango, Miroku and the others will be fine, but I've got to see what's happening. We'll all be back as soon as we can, I promise." Cho, Hana, and Yumi nodded, still shaking. Shippou turned and gave Tani his goodbyes before taking a package covered in brown cloth and heading out to his Oyaji and Okaa's hut.

Tani had her hand held against her stomach as she watched him leave. _Kami, let him come back to me…_ She silently prayed to herself. She grabbed Yumi's hand. "Let's get to Mai's. They'll be alright."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"A-Akina?" Makoto felt like he was in a dream that just went very sour, but never the less, there was Akina, standing with her hands on her hips and a genuine smirk on her face. As she walked closer the youkai behind her fell back into line. "Akina, what are you doing here!" Akina merely nodded and grinned. Suddenly Makoto found himself on his knees, his back suffering almost a crippling blow. Before he could stand and fight, two massive youkai each grabbed his arms in a way that held him in place.

"What am I doing here? Where else would I be, Makoto?" the smile suddenly faded from her face, replaced by an angry glare. "I suppose you were hoping that baka brother of mine and that…that… revolting creature I use to call Otou would have had me mated off by now! You hoped that some big thug was sent to make me obey their every command! You really thought I would allow myself to fall into something like that!" She huffed. "You thought wrong, Makoto. I don't care for you, I don't care for Kiga or the pack."

She reared her hand back and slapped him, leaving claws marks across his face. "All any of you ever wanted to do was control me. You all wanted me to be some kind of obedient pet that came every time you called."

"We weren't trying to control you, Akina, we were all trying to get you _in_ control. Now I see that it was pointless. You're nothing but a self-righteous being with no remorse for others! You're a parasite, Akina, who cares nothing for anyone but yourself."

"I may be selfish, Makoto, but I'm the one with you on your knees. Now I'm the one with all the control. And nothing you, or Kiga, or anyone else says or does can change that." She took a couple of steps back with her arms open to the sides. "I control a whole army of youkai now. They do anything I say, at anytime."

"At what price, Akina! What did you lose to gain for yourself!"

"Nothing really." She smirked. "Just my word that I will kill you and your family. You see, my little friends over there, "She gestured to the inu-youkai, "have a bit of a qualm with all of you, and quite a bit of power to back it up. All I did is swear to get rid of you and the others, and in return I control their army."

"This isn't just some game, Akina! This is a war, people will die! Innocent people have already been hurt. Is that what you want? You want your own wickedness to take control of you?"

Akina knelt before him, gently rubbing the back of her hand across the claw stripes on his cheek and whispered low: "It wouldn't take much, Makoto. One word to either of these youkai and your head would be brought to me on a silver platter. That's control. That's all I will ever need. As for innocent people getter hurt? There are no innocent people, we all have a bit of wickedness waiting to be released. With one word I can bring you down. Another word would bring to an end the lives of your family, your friends, and that little half-breed replacement of mine." She kissed his uninjured cheek before standing back to her feet and stared to walk away.

Makoto could feel the fumes of his anger surrounding him. The kiss Akina gave him felt like acid burning into his skin. He wasn't thinking straight, only certain words popping in his head: _Akina kill Kita…. Akina…kill Kita… Akina…kill… KILL AKINA!_ It was as if something broke inside of him, some hidden barrier melted away inside and set free the creature deep within. Makoto was seeing everything in red, his breath became heavy and demanding. The youkai beside him never stood a chance. With his extending claws and fangs, heads were literally rolling as soon as he freed himself. He pried a bodiless arm from his wrist and stood to his feet slowly. "Akkkkinnnnaaaaa…" he called out in a sing-song voice.

Akina turned at the sound of her name being called in such a way. A head from one of the youkai hit her foot with a thud, and every ounce of confidence she had went out the window when she saw the transformed Makoto free, red eyes glaring at her with nothing but hatred and blood on the mind. She gasped and glanced to where the inu use to be standing. The three were gone, leaving her behind. She looked to the forest. The last line of youkai were still there. "What are you waiting for! Kill the half-breed!"

As the youkai started attacking Makoto all at once, Akina found it time for her to disappear. She ran straight into the forest without so much as a glance back. Makoto fought with all the rage he had in his body. He didn't even feel any of the scratches or bites he received from the fight, and as the last of the youkai fell to his bloody claws, he still wanted more. He didn't care about that blood, that blood meant nothing to him, just a distraction. He wanted the blood of the she-wolf. That's all that mattered. The ONLY thing that mattered. Makoto had to have her blood.

Her scent was easy to pick up on, it reeked with fear. It wasn't all that hard catching up with her either. In no time he had found her, still running from him. He smirked. She didn't really think he'd let her go, did she? Makoto caught up with her, bringing his hands together in a fist and slamming them down on the back of the girl's neck. Akina fell hard to the ground and scrambled around. Makoto jumped down in front of her, his eyes shadowed over by his hair.

Akina was on her knees in front of Makoto, scooting herself backward until she bumped into a tree. She held her hands out above her, panting, whining, crying. "Please, Makoto, I didn't mean any of it! It-it wasn't my fault! The inu… they made me do it! I swear, I would never lie to you Makoto! Please! Show me mercy… morn my pathetic existence, just please let me live!"

Makoto continued to approach her, a predatory gleam in his eyes. When he stood before her he growled. "Don't you know anything Akina? No one morns the wicked." What happened next is too gruesome to recollect on. Akina's body was slashed to ribbons, bits and pieces covered the grass and trees. Makoto himself was covered with blood from head to toe, his claws and fangs dripping with the deep-crimson liquid. His youkai form licked his lips, savoring the metallic taste of her blood with a smirk.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

InuYasha, Miroku, and Sango arrived at the hut in record time. InuYasha covered his nose with his sleeve as he chased off the birds-of-paradise that were eating the dead. The smell was nearly unbearable, blood everywhere! There was still no sign of Makoto. He even had Miroku, Sango, and Kirara on the ground searching through the bodies. He could smell a bit of Makoto's blood every once in awhile, but never a distinct scent. Kirara looked up at him and mewed. "I know, it stinks here. Keep searching."

"Oyaji!" Shippou skidded to a stop beside InuYasha, covering his own nose from the smell. "Where's Makoto?"

"We haven't found him yet. With all this blood I can't pick up on his scent."

"Oyaji…look at these youkai. They're…they're…"

InuYasha nodded. "They're ripped to bits. Either the birds-of-paradise had a frenzy, or Makoto transformed and went into a blood-rage. You got the sword?"

"Right here." He took off the brown cloth and handed the sword to InuYasha. In and instant the Tetsusaiga started to pulse. Shippou and InuYasha stared down at his sword and looked at each other. "Tetsusaiga's reacting."

"Yea…" InuYasha drew his sword, pointing the blade out in front of him. The sword pulsed again, sending out a small shockwave toward the forest.

"Not to sound condescending, but I think Makoto ran off into the forest."

InuYasha nodded as he looked down at Makoto's sword. "Yea…" When InuYasha and Shippou got to the edge of the forest, they both stopped and looked at each other. Miroku and Sango stopped behind them.

"Is there a problem?" Miroku asked.

"You could say that." Shippou answered.

"Great, just great!" InuYasha yelled. "Makoto's in a blood-rage and that stupid she-wolf has been here!"

"Akina?"

"Yea. It's her alright. No doubt."

"At least now we know what set off Makoto, but it still doesn't explain what Akina was doing here in the first place."

"There's no time to worry about that now. Makoto is out there, with her, in a full out blood-rage. We've got to get this sword to him before he does something we'll all regret."

"Right."

"Sango, Miroku, you two go on back to the village and make sure everything is alright there. Shippou and I will find Makoto and meet you later."

As InuYasha trudged through the forest he got the worst feeling in his gut. Somehow, he knew it was most likely too late for the she-wolf. She was as good as dead. In fact, he could smell her death now that there wasn't so much youkai blood everywhere. Not that he cared for Akina, she was nothing but trouble in the first place. How would Makoto react when he transformed back and found Akina dead by his own claws? That would send him in a downward spiral. InuYasha could only hope to land on a better situation, other than what was right in front of his eyes…

**A/N:**

…**ehe…what in the world have I done now?**

**Anyways… you know the routine… **

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**Still to come: Makoto deals with his actions, Kita faces Sesshomaru, InuYasha and Haru face-off, the battle of the Western lands**

**Quiz:**

"**No one morns the wicked." Where did this quote come from? LoL.**


	27. The Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 27: The Journey**

InuYasha and Shippou skidded to a stop somewhere in the middle of the forest where Makoto's scent was strongest. It took all Shippou's willpower not to just turn around and puke at the smell and sight of what was left of Akina. InuYasha turned to where a growl was being directed at him. Makoto was still transformed, covered in blood. He clenched tighter to the new sword he held in his hands. If he could just get Makoto to grab the sword, then he would revert back to his hanyou state. The problem was, in the state he was in, he would sooner rip both their heads off before grabbing a sword.

The youkai-Makoto didn't like being interrupted when he was reveling in his big kill. He hated it even more that the new intruders didn't seem afraid of him. He would soon change that. He snarled at the hanyou, obviously the stronger of the two intruders. The hanyou turned to face him, but didn't show any move to attack or even defend himself. Makoto growled louder to see if he could get some kind of reaction. At first he did nothing, then started to growl back. Youkai-Makoto took an involuntary step back. Something about the hanyou's growl was commanding, empowering. Makoto felt like this hanyou was a leader of sorts. It confused him.

InuYasha could see the confusion on his son's face. Though Makoto couldn't recognize InuYasha, he could still sense his authority as a make-shift pack leader. InuYasha continued his growl, creating a soft but commanding tone. He motioned for Shippou to stay back, and took a couple of steps forward with the new sword in his hands. Makoto shook his head and started snarling again, and InuYasha stopped his advancements. He was trying to avoid a battle with his son at all costs, but it didn't seem as if Makoto were going to make it too easy on him.

"Listen to me, Makoto. Stand down." InuYasha stated in an even tone. "I don't want to fight you, but I will."

"Oyaji, I don't think…"

"Shut up, Shippou." Makoto continued his snarls, but lowered his tone where he could hear what the hanyou was saying. InuYasha took another step forward. "I said stand down, pup."

Makoto could understand what the hanyou was saying. He knew the hanyou's name, InuYasha, the youkai behind him, Shippou, but just like with Akina the names meant absolutely nothing to the blood-thirsty youkai. But, the flashes of memories is what stopped him from attacking. InuYasha, picking him up by the collar of his kimono and setting him down in a branch of a tree. There was something about him, he knew him, but how? And why did he even care? The confusion was making youkai-Makoto angrier by the second. He knew how to get rid of the confusion. Besides, who did this half-breed think he was, challenging him like this?!

InuYasha jumped out of the way as Makoto charged him. He felt the wind from his son's claws brush against his face. Before he could complain about nearly having new stripes across his face, InuYasha was ducking from another blow. "Dang it, Makoto, I said STAND DOWN!" He dodged another attack from the youkai.

Makoto's fangs were bared against his own father. The rouge youkai stormed forward on his left foot, stooping low and bringing his right foot around to hook behind InuYasha's knees. InuYasha fell flat on his back, rolling to one side to avoid the onslaught of claws and fangs. Makoto was able to get one good slash in, ripping though the fire-rat haori and leaving hair-thin scratches along InuYasha's arm. He looked down at his arm and growled.

"Oyaji, forget about that, just get him to grab the sword!" Shippou yelled from a safe distance.

InuYasha was still growling to himself. He was hoping he could bring Makoto around without having to fight him to take the sword, but the pup was too far gone to even talk to. InuYasha held the sword in one hand and ran toward Makoto. The youkai-Makoto calculated his movements and side-stepped his father, bringing one clenched fist down hard on InuYasha's shoulder. InuYasha wasted no time, quickly turning back around on his heels and using the sword to put a choke-hold around Makoto's neck.

Makoto thrashed about, trying to pry himself loose from InuYasha's hold around his neck. He growled, clawed, kicked, and punched but InuYasha held the sword firm and matched his moves. With no other option, youkai-Makoto reached up and grabbed the sword, tilting down with all the strength he could muster, sending InuYasha flying over his head straight to the ground in a body slam, the sword in the youkai's hands.

At first Shippou and InuYasha wondered if the sword would work. Makoto was just standing there, sword in his hands. Then he dropped to his knees with a howl. Pure energy crackled from the sword, traveling up Makoto's arms until it fanned out across his entire body. InuYasha got back to his feet and backed up. Youkai-Makoto was fighting the changes with everything he had. He tried to let go of the sword, only to find the sword wouldn't let him. He howled again in pure rage as his claws started to recede, and fangs shortened. With a flash of gold in his eyes, he feel forward. InuYasha took a few cautious steps toward him. Makoto raised his head and sat up on his knees, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. Before Makoto could get a good look around, InuYasha brought down his doubled-up fist on the back of his head, sending him into unconsciousness.

"What was that for?! He was back to normal!" Shippou yelled, putting one of Makoto's arms around his shoulder while InuYasha did the same on the other side.

"You want him to see all this right now? Keh. It's going to be hard enough when he remembers it."

Shippou nodded. "What do we tell Okaa and the others?"

"We tell them the truth. _Without_ the details. The less they know about this, the better off we'll all be."

"…and Makoto?"

"I'll deal with that myself."

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Miroku sighed heavily as he walked down the path to the village, which seemed to have lengthened considerably since he last walked it. Everyone else had already gathered at his hut for the night. Maybe it was the sights he had to witness, maybe it was the fact they after today with all the attacks he knew they were all vulnerable, but Miroku had never felt so alone in his life as he walked that path on his own. He could only imagine how InuYasha and Kagome felt right now, or how Makoto would feel when he awoke. All he wished was to be in Sango's arms, sitting with his girls and all their friends.

Sango leaned on Miroku's shoulder as he sat down next to her in front of the small fire in the hut. InuYasha had found both of them when they returned with Makoto and had given Miroku instructions to purify the grounds. From the looks of it, whatever he had found had not been all that pleasant. Sango didn't want to know. She'd seen what InuYasha could do in a blood rage, and she didn't even want to think of Makoto being capable of such. Instead, Sango swore to herself to do anything she could to help.

Shippou and Tani silently sat on the other side of the fire just across from Miroku and Sango. Tani had her head buried in his shoulder, hands clinging to his haori. She had been clinging by Shippou's side ever since he had arrived, dragging Makoto in beside him. He wasn't looking too well himself; pale in the face and barely saying a word. Was it really all that horrible?

InuYasha sat with Kagome in a corner, Tetsusaiga propped on the wall beside him. He had agreed to wait till the morning before heading out to Sesshomaru's castle. They had to wait until Makoto woke, anyway, and to tell the truth he didn't really feel like leaving at the time either. How was he going to handle this situation? He should have gotten a sword created for Makoto a long time ago. He guessed he was just hoping that Makoto wouldn't have the same kind of problems he had himself. But InuYasha was going to do just what they started. First, he was going to deal with Haru. Whatever happened liked that will be taken care of in time.

Kagome kept glancing over her and InuYasha's shoulders to the back bedroom. As worried for Makoto as she was, millions of other thoughts were running through her head. What about Kouga, Ayame, and Kigia? Though Akina had betrayed them all by joining sides with Haru, she was still part of their family. Their daughter. His twin sister. Surely Kouga would understand what had happened, wouldn't he? He wouldn't hold a grudge on Makoto for his daughter's death, not in these circumstances, not after what she had done. Kagome still couldn't believe it. She knew Akina wasn't the most loyal of the wolf-youkai, but to completely throw aside her pack for revenge? It was inconceivable. Then again, why would anyone be so coldhearted?

Kita sat silently with Makoto in the bedroom, his head lying in her lap, her hands idly switching between combing through his hair and stroking his fuzzy ears. That's how the two had been since Makoto had been drug in by his father and brother. She, Kagome, and Mai had cleaned the cuts and dried blood from his skin. Mai left for home, and Kita assumed Kagome had gone back into the main room with InuYasha and the others. She didn't need anyone to explain what had happened. The fact that the majority of the blood she smelled happened to belong to Akina told the whole story.

He killed her. Makoto had killed Akina. Though the motive behind the killing wasn't yet apparent to her, Kita knew there had to be something behind it to motivate him. Even in his youkai state, he wouldn't kill her unless he was provoked into doing so. She looked back down at the inu-hanyou's sleeping face. His brows were furrowed, jaw clenched tight, lips pulled back showing off is white fangs. Makoto wasn't resting at ease. Maybe it would be better if she woke him. But how would he react? Would he remember what happened right away, or would it take awhile? Kita didn't have to ponder too long. As she continued to absent mindedly stroke his hair, his eyes slowly opened, followed by a long groan.

Makoto reached up and touched the back of his head with his hand. The small bump InuYasha had given him was already receding, but it still hurt. Makoto took a few moments for his eyes and other senses to focus on his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was his closeness to the she-wolf. He gave a sleepy smirk and turned in her lap to nuzzle against her hand. Kita smiled softly back. Makoto sat up and stretched his arms in the air, popping his shoulders and wrists. All the while Kita sat quietly, watching Makoto's face for any sign of emotion that he remembered what happened. Instead he flopped back down and sighed.

"How long have I been out?"

"A few hours."

"Hours? And Oyaji hasn't pushed everyone into leaving yet?"

"You were pretty hurt." Kita stated softy. "He thought it best to stay here tonight and leave first thing in the morning. Just in case some youkai are still out there."

Makoto paused. "Haru. I think he was there, with other inu-youkai." He closed his eyes as his brow furrowed once more. "He sent thousands of youkai from the western lands. I kept them off for a long time, but more and more kept coming. Too many." He was talking more to himself then Kita, trying to recall what happened through all the fuzziness in his memory. "Then they all stopped…and…Akina…" _Akina was there. Why was she there? It's hard to remember…_ "We fought. I yelled, she yelled, she…she kissed me…" He saw Kita flinched but ignored it for the time. After that memory, everything was dark. Fuzzy. And man did his head hurt. Big time. The room started spinning…

"Makoto, forget about it right now." Kita lay down next to him and snuggled against his shoulder. "It'll come back to you, in time." She said halfheartedly.

"Yea… yea, you're right. As long as everyone is okay." He turned sharply to the side with a worried expression. "Everyone is okay, right?"

"Everyone is fine, just worried about you."

Makoto yawned. "Good. Sleep…now." It was a command. Kita shook her head but didn't object when Makoto flung his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. By the time InuYasha cracked open the door to Makoto's room to check on him, the two were fast asleep. He made sure the sword was near before slipping back out.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto lagged behind the large group as they marched on toward the castle. Two days into the trip Kagome, Yumi, and the pups were riding on Kirara's back while Shippou had transformed into a rather plump-looking horse to carry Tani. InuYasha and Miroku were walking up front, occasionally turning to each other and whispering, then taking a glance back at him when they thought he wouldn't notice. Sango, Kita, Hana, and Cho walked on either side of Kirara. Like the others, Kita would turn to look back at him, showing off her signature sad smile. Mai was the only one absent, having chosen to stay behind with her husband and help him with his growing duties within the village.

After the first few days of whispers and glances from the others, Makoto finally dropped Kita's hand from his own and signaled her to walk ahead. He could see the hurt expression the wolf tried to hide, but nudged her on. Makoto needed time to think alone. He remembered everything up to the point of his transformation. After that it was just a big, dark blur. Apparently something had happened; otherwise he wouldn't be getting all those looks. He sighed and brought his hand down to rest on the hilt of Touken. Shippou had told him Toutousai's warning, and that he should keep it close at all times. Then InuYasha had interrupted and told him never to let the weapon out of his sight for any reason at all.

Makoto had figured that he had attacked Akina, and that InuYasha or Shippou had placed the sword in his hand to revert him back to his hanyou form. How…bad… had she been hurt? Was that why no one would talk to him about it? He sighed to himself. If he had really hurt her too bad, odds were she had ran back to the den and told Kouga. Most likely, the wolf was already out looking for him. Maybe that was why the others were staring at him. They had lost the pack as an ally because he couldn't control himself. That still wouldn't explain some things, like InuYasha. He wouldn't care about that. Come to think of it, neither would Kita. She wasn't really on friendly terms with other wolves in the first place, being a runaway from her own pack. He stopped, nearly ramming into Kita in front of him. He hadn't noticed the others had stopped, nor had he noticed how dark the sky had gotten.

"Everyone get some sleep. That goes for you too, Makoto. I'll keep watch tonight." InuYasha said. Makoto just watched as everyone pulled out various blankets and traveling futons to make their place for the night. They all seemed rather weary, even Shippou and InuYasha's shoulders were slumped more then they should have been.

Kagome rolled out her futon next to InuYasha, placing the sleeping pups between them. Mehiji gave out a small snore as she tucked him in for the night. Miroku and Sango lay side by side on their futon, the girls cuddled with the transformed Kirara. Shippou and Tani were already sleeping by the fire they had built, Shippou's tail twitching occasionally in the air. After several moments just standing over the campsite, Makoto noticed Kita sitting with her arms and chin draped over her knees with a thoughtful gaze in her emerald eyes. She looked concerned, confused. He walked over and she gave a small smile as he sat down next to her on the ground.

"Tired?" he asked. She nodded. Makoto slumped against the bark of a tree and pulled her into his lap with a sigh.

"I…" Kita started, but fell silent.

Makoto looked down at her. "You what?"

"I just…wanted you to know… that I am here for you, Makoto. You taught me to trust you with any problem that I had…and…you can trust me, too." She blushed.

Makoto smiled and dropped his lips to caress hers in a quick but passionate kiss. "I just want to remember what happened. No one is saying a word about it, but they keep staring at me… like they're expecting something to happen at any moment." He sighed and his ears drooped. "I just hope I didn't do what I think I did…"

**A/N:**

**GAHHH!!!!!!!!!!! **

**SORRY!!! Things keep piling up on meh. For those of you who didn't know, my dad has been in and out of the hospital for the past month..or two. I don't even remember how long. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chappie, 28 will be out sooner.**


	28. Living Regrets

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 28: Living Regrets**

All night long Makoto tossed in his sleep. Flashes of fangs and blood, female screams haunted him in his dreams. He felt the pure rage, smelt the scent of blood. Blood everywhere; on the ground, the trees, his claws and clothes and face… Akina's blood. The blood of the she-wolf he once thought he loved, that he thought had once loved him. His mind was shouting at him to kill her, make her howl in pain and suffer. Why did he want something so sinister to happen to someone who had been a childhood friend? Then another picture had popped into his dreams, a more pleasant picture. It was a rainy day as he leaped through the meadow, carrying a giggling hanyou girl in his arms. It was sitting alone with the same girl, her head on his shoulder and the feeling like he could stay there forever.

He knew now; what was his had been threatened. That's why he was seeking blood. That's why he wanted it so bad; he could taste the metallic tinge on his tongue. It became an almost primal need. The flashes continued; one to another. From the horror stricken look on Akina's face, to Kita's warm smile; from blood and anger, to the smell of flowers; from pure hate to anything but.

A sudden gasp and the sound of his name being called finally stirred Makoto from his restless slumber. As he sat up into a sitting position, Kita swung around behind him and peaked above his shoulder. He was about to ask her what was wrong, but something else caught his attention. Kouga was standing a few feet away, being held back by both arms by Kigai and Ayame. InuYasha was standing between him and the red-faced youkai with Tetsusaiga drawn.

"Go home, Kouga! I WILL fight you if I have to." InuYasha stated as the wolf continued to struggle free of his son's and mate's grasp on him.

"Kouga, he didn't mean to, please, don't do this!" Kagome was crying with the pups tucked in her arms. Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Cho joined InuYasha in his stand-off. Kirara transformed and stood in front of Kagome and the girls.

"Out of my way, Mutt! This is between me and that filthy HALF-BREED!"

Makoto gulped and turned his head to whisper to Kita. "Go stand with Okaa-san." The wolf-hanyou reluctantly shook her head and moved her arms around his waist without a word spoken.

"Kouga, please, you know she betrayed us all; she was my daughter, too!" Ayame called out as he managed to free one of his arms.

Kouga pointed at Makoto with his free hand, red eyed and a tear-stained face. "HE KILLED HER! HE. KILLED. HER!"

There was instant silence in the whole camp. Every eye was on Makoto as he registered the information and shook his head in horror. _I killed her. I…killed her? Akina…no…I couldn't have..I…_ "No…no… I didn't..."

"It WAS you! You still reek of her DEATH! I'll kill you! I'll tear you apart piece by piece just like you did HER!" His voice dropped an octave, making his next statement send shivers down Makoto's neck and back. "I trusted you; I trusted you and you killed her. Now you're trying to deny it…"

"Kouga, Akina wasn't ours anymore. She left us." Ayame called, snuggling into his chest and wrapping her arms around him. "She betrayed Makoto; he had no intentions on killing her, I know he didn't… but Akina pushed him too far…" she choked out between sobs. "Think about it Kouga, you know it's true!"

Kita's grip around Makoto tightened as Kouga fell to his knees, bracing himself on his hands. His eyes were squeezed tight shut, taking long, ragged breaths. "I…I can't…" he whispered. Ayame forced him back to his feet.

"Let's go home." She turned and nodded to Kigia, giving Kagome and the others an apologetic glace before leaving them for the den. Makoto let out a deep sigh as he watched the two disappear into the forest.

Kigai slowly approached Makoto with his head bowed. "I'm sorry about my father… and I'm sorry about Akina. She had no right…" he took a deep breath, running his hand over his hair to smooth it back. "Anyway, you spared her life once when she betrayed you; I would not have expected nor asked you to spare her a second time. What she did… it wasn't forgivable. But I want you to know, for all it's worth, I know you never would have … if you weren't…" he let it drop. "Just don't hold her actions against us. We've sworn to be allies for years, and I'd like to keep it that way if I can."

"I-." Makoto's voice cracked. What could he say? Were there even words yet for what was going through his head? "I- I need to go." He shrugged himself from Kita's grasp. She followed him as he began to walk away, only he turned back to her. "Alone. I gotta go alone, for awhile. Go with the others to the castle." With that he took off without a glance back.

Makoto didn't know how long he had run. Nor did he care. He just ran as fast and as hard as he could. Branches scraped against him, tugging at his haori. He kept running. He felt his lungs tighten, breathing being constricted, he didn't stop. He just knew his feet were bleeding, being slashed to bits from his carelessness. He kept going. As long as he was going, as long as he didn't stop, he wouldn't have to think. He wouldn't have to force himself to remember. When the sun came up, shedding light across the forest and through the trees, he finally slowed down. His running became a slow jog, his jog into a trot, his trot into a walk, finally tripping and rolling onto his back.

Makoto, breathing heavily, arms spread out to his sides, stared up into the canopy. The leaves were just starting to change into their autumn colors. A swirl of greens, yellows, oranges; all blowing in the breeze over his head. Finally catching his breath, he sat up into a sitting position and looked down at his hands and claws. Had he really used those to kill Akina? His first love? His best friend's sister? He closed his eyes, momentarily flashing back to his dream, where those same claws were covering in blood with Akina begging for her life to be spared. But that wasn't really a dream, was it? It was a memory. HIS memory. One that he would not soon forget again.

He didn't want to think about it. Not now. Not ever. He just wanted to run. Run from everything. Run from Kouga's accusing eyes, from Kiaga and Ayame's sadness, from Kita and his family's worried glances… Makoto pulled himself back to his feet, but as soon as he started to run, he was jerked back to the ground.

"What the…?" he growled at his clumsiness, brushing off the dirt on his kimono and started to dash off again. This time he made it a couple of feet before he came crashing down again.

"What is going on here?!" he yelled to the empty forest. A couple of birds in a tree overhead took to the sky squawking. A rabbit hiding in a bush leaped out and away. Looking at the bare dirt below him, he couldn't figure what he could have tripped over. "Fine." He said to himself. He stood intent on taking a cautious step forward. Then, as his foot was half-way down, a pulse from his side… "Huh?" _Touken…_ He slammed into the ground again. This time he wasn't so quick to get back up. He groaned before pushing his hands against the earth to lift himself. What exactly was going on?

When Makoto had seated himself, he unhooked the sword at his side and carefully inspected it. It seemed pretty normal, if you call a sword made of color-changing metal normal. He placed the scabbard to his side and raised the blade in front of him. _Touken… if only you could have kept me from transforming then…_ He sighed and lowered the sword again. "Then I wouldn't be in this mess." _Shippou said the old man had a warning, too. This thing is suppose to allow my 'true nature' to show? What is my true nature, anyway? If I'm capable of something like..like…**that**… then what am I? I'm a monster, that's what. Nothing but a bloodthirsty monster that can snap at anytime. _The sword pulsed in his hands, a shimmer of black trailing along the length of the blade.

"What do you want?" he asked the sword with an annoyed tone. "I ain't moving anywhere; you saw to that, so what did you stop me for?" Makoto shifted uncomfortably as the sword let out a long pulse of energy and shown black once more. _What do you want from me? _He reached a hand up and touched the blade as it pulsed. A crackling energy swept through him. He gritted his teeth, trying to pull his hand away but the sword's energy held on. It wasn't a painful shock, but it wasn't exactly comforting either. Makoto fought against everything the sword threw at him, his energy draining fast with every second he touched the blade. His eyelids started getting heavy, his head felt fuzzy. His eyes caught a glimpse of the blade and he stopped fighting it. The blade was completely blackened. Makoto was in a trance. Everything but the blade slowly disappeared. It disappeared leaving nothing but him and the blade, he was falling into the darkness…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto shook his head and sat up with a groan. Why did he feel like a squashed spider-youkai? Every part of him tingled. He stretched enough to crack his back and his neck, taking time to pull his haori on and slid open the door to his room. There was no sign of Kagome or InuYasha. He must have slept in late for those two to already be outside. Sure enough, when he opened the door to the main room, Kagome was sitting by the pond with the pups toddling around her while InuYasha dove under the water after a fish. Kagome smiled at him as he walked up, and the pups grabbed at his kimono, calling "Ah-nee!"

He patted both of them on the head and ruffled their hair. There was a cute giggling sounding from behind him, turning around he saw Kita just before she jumped into his arms. He swung her around until they both fell backwards into the grass laughing. He leaned back looking up into the sky. Kirara flew overhead, landing a few yards from them. Miroku hopped off her back and held out his hand to help Sango down as well. Mai, Cho, Hana, and Yumi ran past them. They ran straight to the line of fruit trees, holding up the hem of their kimonos, picking ripe fruits and placing them on the cloth like a basket.

Shippou and Tani came walking up from the path hand in hand. Kagome rushed over to greet them, pulling Shippou down to give him a quick hug then doing the same with Tani. Mehiji and Gina were kneeling at the water's edge, peering down at their own refection only to jump back in surprise as InuYasha popped up from the water with a fresh fish in hand. Gina giggled while Mehiji made a leap for the fish, only to find himself in the water. InuYasha shook his head and grabbed the pup by the collar of his kimono and dropped him back on dry land. Makoto laughed as Mehiji tried to shake himself dry, losing his balance and falling into Gina who slipped into the water herself. She had her arms crossed, as InuYasha pulled her out, and was glaring daggers at her brother as droplets of water fell from her ears and hair.

A clap of thunder and a glimpse of lightning in the sky caught Makoto attention. He looked into the sky. What was just a clear summer's day just turned dark and cold. An icy wind blew as dark clouds quickly blocked the sun and made everything much darker. Makoto heard a scream, and dropped his gaze from the sky back to his family and friends. He was in shock of what he saw. Youkai, lined up by the thousands. All kinds of youkai heading straight for them.

Makoto looked around to find InuYasha. He was leaning heavily on Tetsusaiga, using one arm to hold himself up and the other to hold Kagome behind him. Gina and Mehiji were just feet away from a hungry looking youkai. He was about to try and help, but as he looked down at his claws, he found himself to be human. Makoto knew he was useless as a human. There was no way he could get to the pups and save them in time. He looked around for someone to yell to, someone who could help the pups. His eyes fell upon Kita, lying sprawled out on the ground, blood pouring from a wound on her right temple. Makoto tried to get to her, but was thrown several feet away by a youkai. He tried to fight back, but he had no fangs or claws to fight back with.

Not far from Kita was Tani. She was hunched over, gripping her stomach. Shippou flashed across the ground, using his foxfire to block the pups from several youkai at once but fell to the ground with a huge, gaping hole in his back. All Makoto could do was watch as each of his family and friends fell victim to the youkai.

Makoto let all his anger, sadness, and fury gather deep within himself. Before he even knew what was happening, he began to change. His claws and fangs grew longer, deadlier, able to shred through flesh without a second's hesitation. His eyes went crimson, and he growled, the sound reverberating through the air. He was youkai now. His deadliest state of blood-rage. Without waiting another second he let go of the things that were holding him back and grabbed the nearest youkai by the neck and sliced a hole through it's side with one swoop of his claws.

But when he looked down, it wasn't a youkai. It was Kagome. His mother. Her face was horror stricken as she looked down to the fatal wound on her side then into the eyes of her own son. Makoto was confused. He looked around. All the youkai had gone, even the bodies of those that were dead. The sun was back out, warm against his skin. It was almost ironic, the birds chirping and the sun shinning while everyone dear to him now lay at his feet. Dead. The water in the pond was now crimson, fish floating to the top. He dropped Kagome's limp form to the ground.

He didn't… it wasn't her! It was a youkai…then his okaa-san… Nothing made any since. He reached out for Kita's body. She had been bleeding from the head. Deep claws marked the side of her face. Makoto lay his hand down on her, his claws matching exact to the wounds that killed her. It was the same with all the others. He had killed him. He killed them all. Makoto felt sick. He rushed over to the pond to splash water on his face, but his own reflection stopped him. Human and youkai. The human so weak and frail. The youkai clouded over by blood. Both were him. They were one. They were Makoto, and he was they. A third form appeared. His hanyou form. The other two reflections turned to look at the hanyou reflection. Then they both spoke. "Decide." It was in his own voice, but duel-toned.

The reflections disappeared and all that was left was the crimson stained water. The water grew darker with each passing moment until it was completely black. The water kept rising, engulfing Makoto and dragging him into the darkness…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Makoto gasped as he dropped the sword with his shaking hands. He looked to see the last bit of darkness fading from the blade, being replaced by the color-changing metal once more. Makoto let out a deep sigh and put the sword back in its scabbard and hooked it around his waist before slumping back into the dirt. The images of everything were still so fresh in his mind. It was so real. Everything was so real. It took him awhile to get though his head that none of that had really happened, that his sword had put him into a trance of some kind. The question that bugged him was 'why?'

_Touken. Why show me all that? Why NOW? I know how weak I am as human, and I know how reckless I am as youkai. What are you trying to show me? That I'm going to have to decide between them?_ Makoto thought. If he did have to choose between them, which would he choose? As human, he wouldn't be any help at all. He was useless to everyone as a human. But as youkai, he was strong, but he couldn't control himself. He didn't even know what he was doing in that form. Killing at will,… just like he did to Akina…

"Alright, you." He spoke down to the sword. "Either start giving me clear answers or just keep your stupid images to yourself."

**A/N:**

**I kind of liked writing this chapter. It's a bit shorter than the others, but I think I got my point across. Is can be a bit confusing, so if you have any questions just go to the Q&A section of the forum. Thanks for hanging in there with me guys!!**


	29. Confronting the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 29: Confronting the Past**

"I-." Makoto's voice cracked. Kita tried her best to comfort him. "I- I need to go." He shrugged himself from Kita's grasp. She followed him as he began to walk away, only he turned back to her. "Alone. I gotta go alone, for awhile. Go with the others to the castle." With that he took off without a glance back. At first she considered whether she should follow him anyway, but in the end she just sighed and slumped to the ground.

"Let's get moving." InuYasha stated. "If we really push we can make it to the castle by tonight. Makoto can catch up when he's ready."

Kagome couldn't stop her eyes from watering. She busied herself rolling up her futon and gathering the rest of her things to put in her pack. InuYasha sighed as she deliberately avoided his gaze for the third time. He shook his head, signaled Shippou to watch Gina and Mehiji, and walked over to stand above his mate. Just as he thought she would, Kagome didn't react to his presence.

"Almost done. I'll be ready to go in a minute." She stated with a shaky voice.

"Kagome…"

"I think we need to find a human village nearby when we get to Sesshomaru's. I doubt they have any cloth for diapers and they're both getting so big so fast."

"Ka…"

"And if Mehiji is anything like Mako…" she froze, falling silent. Then she continued packing the pups' things. InuYasha grunted. "Gina needs a new kimono…"

"Shut-up wench, and get over here." InuYasha wrapped his arms around Kagome as she threw herself into his chest, sobs wracking her entire body. He pulled her into his lap and gently nuzzled her tear-stained cheek. "You know he'll be alright. He's a tough pup. Makoto can manage on his own."

"He's just hurting so much." She sniffled. "I blame you! It's your fault he's so stubborn and won't talk things out!" she playfully slapped his cheek.

"Keh. That's right, just blame me for everything wench." He smirked. Kagome tweaked one of his ears. "Oi!"

"What do you think will happen when we get to Sesshomaru's castle? Do you think Haru will already be there?"

"I doubt it. Sesshomaru may be a useless baka, but he's not about to let anyone near that mate and pup of his. Myouga said the battle hadn't made it to the castle yet, so it should be safe for the time being." He pushed to his feet and reached down to help Kagome up. "Come on, wench. Let's get movin."

After everyone was packed, mounted up, and ready to go, they were off toward the castle once again. The trip was mainly quiet. There were a few times the group had to stop and let the pups down to play as they were getting restless from being held for the whole journey. Kita mainly stayed behind the others running her thoughts over and over again in her head. Mostly she thought of how Makoto was holding up, and when he would come back. But as they got closer to the castle, her thoughts leaned toward the Lord of the Western Lands and what he would do when he caught her scent again.

From what Makoto said, he wasn't all that bad, but listening to InuYasha all the time she wasn't so sure what he would do to her. She had tried to kidnap his son after all, whether it was of her own accord or not wasn't the issue. Kita had tried to kidnap the only son of a youkai lord, nearly killed by them, and was now on her way back to the same castle. She shook her head and took in a deep breath. She just wished Makoto would get back before she had to come face to face with Sesshomaru once more.

"Oyaji, we need to stop again!"

"What?! No! If we stop now, we'll never make it to the castle before dark!" InuYasha growled out.

"Well then _you_ hold Mehiji!" Shippou yelled back. The said pup had climbed upon his shoulder and was biting at his ear. "Owww! Someone get him a chew toy!" Mehiji growled and bit down harder. "OKAA!!!!!"

"Let's just stop here for the night, InuYasha. Mehiji is getting too agitated. We'll get to the castle early tomorrow morning."

"Keh." He walked over and plucked the pup from Shippou's ear and held him up to eyes' height. Mehiji lowered his eyebrows in a glare and growled, showing off his fangs to his father.

"Down Ya-ee!" the pup made an attempt to escape from InuYasha's grasp.

"InuYasha, put him down. You're aggravating him." Kagome tapped her foot.

"Keh. I'm not aggravating him. Pup's being impulsive."

"Down! Down! Down! Down!" Mehiji growled out over and over, his little claws doing little damage as he scratched at InuYasha's arms. "Ya-ee, Down!" When InuYasha still didn't put him down, Mehiji searched out exposed flesh on InuYasha's hand and bit down hard.

"Owwww!" InuYasha set the pup down and started shaking his hand in the air. A few drops of blood leaked down the side of his hand and fell to the ground. "Oi! He **bit** me!"

"Sit." :THUMP!: Mehiji giggled as he waddled away from his currently subdued father. "I told you they don't like being held like that, InuYasha. It's your own fault he bit you." She got on her knees in front of Mehiji who was still giggling. "And you know better then to be biting on Shippou and Oyaji, don't you?" she wagged her finger at him.

"Eepo an Ya-ee no down!" he whined.

"That's no reason to bite. Now say you're sorry."

Mehiji's ears flattened on his head and he scowled.

"Don't look at me like that and go say you're sorry!" Kagome said in a firm voice.

"Sorry Eepo. Sorry Ya-ee."

"Okaa?" Gina pulled on Kagome's Kimono to get her attention. She looked down and smiled. "Okaa… where M-koto?"

"Makoto went on a trip. He's going to meet us at Oji-Sesshomaru's." The pup looked up at Kagome, her silver eyes shimmering as she yawned, showing off her small fangs. InuYasha plucked her from the ground and wrapped her in the sleeves of his haori. The sky was now darkening quickly, showing off the first few stars and sliver of a moon as the sun sank over the horizon. Kita watched the families around her closely as they settled down for the night. Miroku and Sango were surrounded by their three girls; Kirara curled up in Yumi's arms. Tani and Shippou had wondered a little farther from the others, Shippou whispered into her ear and Tani silently giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss before laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes. InuYasha and Kagome were starting to drift off, the pups lying between them. Mehiji didn't seem to want to sleep, and made a move for Gina's ear, but InuYasha cracked open an eye and let out a low growl. The pup whined and closed his eyes. Satisfied that the pup wasn't up to any more mischief for the night, InuYasha closed his eye with a smirk.

Kita couldn't help but feel a bit like an outcast. When Makoto was around, she had a bond with the others, like family. Without him, she really didn't belong. It was his family, not hers. She fought down a whine that threatened to escape her throat, her ears pinned to her head. She wrapped her arms around her legs and laid her head on her knees. Was she doing the right thing in the first place? She loved Makoto. He was the first person since her mother and father that had shown even an ounce of compassion. Her parents… how long had it been since she even really thought about them? It seemed like another life time ago. Maybe, for her, it was.

Sometimes, when she closed her eyes and thought back, she would see him. Her father, Moriji. His hair was jet black, just like Kita's, and he always kept it short and messy. He always told her long hair just got it the way and he had no reason to fix it when it was short. Kita always thought he looked kind of funny with long hair anyway. Moriji's eyes were a soft lavender most of the time, but when he was angry or upset about something they would always turn a dark purple. She hardly ever saw his eyes like that, and when she did it was never because of her or her mother, Suki, it was always because of something or someone that threatened them. Moriji's forehead proudly showed the mark of his pack, an eight-pointed yellow star; on his cheeks, just below the eyes, were two yellow triangles, one under each. He didn't wear furs like the other pack members did; he always wore a lavender kimono with a purple sash that Suki made for him. Kita always remembered how regal and noble he looked. Moriji wasn't the smartest, or the fastest, or the strongest, but just looking at him always gave Kita a since of pride.

Kita also remembered her mother, Suki. Moriji always told Kita that her mother had cast a spell on him with one glance from her emerald eyes, shaded by her yellow hair. Her family was foreign to Japan, and some how ended up in a village near the den. She would always say the first time she saw Moriji standing high above her on a cliff, wind whipping though his muddled hair, it was love at first sight. Suki was always finding something new to make. Kimonos, sashes, bags, hair wraps; anything she could think of. She was very good at it, too, but no one in the villages would ever buy her wares and the pack didn't want anything to do with her. Moriji and Kita was all she cared about, anyway. They had their own place close to the den, but far enough away to stay privet.

Shinobi. Oh, how Kita would always remember Shinobi. The one who fought her father and won. The one who killed him and her mother. The one who would punish her every day for just having mixed blood. Those lavender eyes, looking so much different, colder, than her father's, those eyes would haunt her. He bore many scars which he showed proudly on his bare chest and across his face, thinking that because of them he deserved more respect. Shinobi had taken over the pack after Kita's father was gone. Ruler of the northern pack. Kita cringed with the memory, suppressing her sudden urge to get up and run and not stop till she was out of breath.

Both her parents always said she had a strong spirit, but Kita felt far from it at times. She just felt so weak for running and hiding all the time, but she didn't always have the courage it took to face the day on her own. Now was one of those times. She didn't know what was before her through all the uncertainties. She loved Makoto so much it scared her, and to think of losing him… she couldn't. She felt permanently bound to him, as if even if she wanted to leave she would die not long after. Makoto was healing her, inside and out. Her father… her mother… the pack that she left behind, they were only memories of a past life now.

'_Great, just great…'_ Kita mused to herself as she curled up on the ground. _'I miss him so much, and if he's not back by tomorrow morning, I'll have to face the lord without Makoto.'_ She nestled herself into a ball and covered herself with a blanket Kagome had given her. _'Why did I let myself grow a reliance for him?' _ Sleep would never come for her this night.

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InuYasha made sure everyone was up with the sun the next morning, a few mumbled insults aimed at him from the others as they trudged out of their sleep and began to pack their things. Since Kita had already been up, she took the liberty of sporting a few bits of game for breakfast, cooking on their skewers above the fire she had built. There wasn't very much, considering Kita's leg was permanently damaged and she was unable to hunt as well as she had before, but everyone seemed grateful for her contribution. Even InuYasha had looked down at her and gave her an approving nod.

As they began again their journey to the castle, Kita could feel her body stiffen as she recognized the familiar path into the Western Lands. It hadn't been too long ago she had snuck into the castle grounds, watching the young pup playing just before trying to snatch him. She realized now how big of a mistake she had made. But maybe, back then, she was silently hoping for death at the hands of the pup's father. Now that she returned, would he finish what he started?

Kagome walked along side InuYasha, laying her head on his arm. Gina was crawling around in his arms, hiding herself in the folds of his kimono and popping her head out with a growl at some imaginary prey she was stalking there. Her ear twitched in the air as InuYasha let out a low, rumbling growl. Gina turned in his arms and growled back, bent low, and pounced on InuYasha's shoulder. Kagome broke away and watched as the two roughhoused for awhile. She took a moment to look back and see that Mehiji was still asleep on Kirara's back. That pup wasn't one for being waken up before he wanted to. For a moment Kagome smiled as the pup twitched his leg and snuggled into the fire-cat's fur.

"Lord InuYasha! My lord!" a silver-haired inu-youkai with his family's markings bounded up, catching Kagome's attention. The youkai fell to one knee in front of InuYasha with his head bowed low.

"What is it, Yukio?" InuYasha answered, holding Gina by the collar of her kimono to keep her from his ears.

"Lord Sesshomaru sent me in search of you." His eyes dimmed and his voice was etched with anger. "My father and elder brother have sought allies from the neighboring territories. The entire Northern territory and half of the Eastern territory have been recruited in the battle for the Western Lands. The Southern Lands have yet to be seized, but Lord Sesshomaru is certain their friendship will stay on our side if we act quickly. He seeks you for his second command in the upcoming battle."

InuYasha snorted distastefully, but took the time to think things through. If Yukio was right, and all was as he said, this wasn't just about him, Kagome, his pups, and Rin and Yukio; this battle was youkai against all hanyou and humans. The youkai were gathering together for a war against mortals and anyone who shared their blood or friendship.

"Keh. I'll hear what the baka has to say, then."

Yukio nodded and stood to his feet. "I'll be more than happy to escort you the rest of the way, then."

When the castle came in view, everyone in the group could tell the difference in it before. Last time they where here, inu-youkai were all over the grounds, doing this and that, but not a single one was seen outside the castle this time. Inside the castle wasn't that much different. The few inu they did pass were scurrying off, giving them a quick glance as they passed by. Yukio led them through the main hall when Sesshomaru stood waiting expectantly for InuYasha.

InuYasha handed Gina over to her mother and took a few steps forward. Sesshomaru's low growl stopped him in his tracks, but following the inu-lord's gaze he realized it wasn't him Sesshomaru directed his growls, but instead it was to the she-wolf, Kita. InuYasha had almost forgotten about the girl and her past with Sesshomaru. He stepped in between the two.

"You would be wise, InuYasha, to not become this Sesshomaru and his enemies. That pup is under Haru's command, and under my authority to be killed." He made a move toward the girl again, who visibly flinched backward.

InuYasha stood in front of Kita and growled, fangs bared against his brother. "Kita is with my pack now. She had nothing to do with Haru's antics, she was being controlled until the spell was broken. I take full responsibility for her actions while she is here."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at the statement. It wasn't like his half-brother to take responsibility for his own actions, much less that of another. "Very well, InuYasha. The girl is under your charge. If this Sesshomaru finds she is still working for the enemy, it will be **you** who pays the price. She is not to be left unguarded."

"Keh! Fine."

"We have things to discuss…alone."

InuYasha nodded, and then turned to Kita. "Don't make me regret this, wolf. If you so much as take one step out of line while you're here, you'll be back on your own so fast your head will spin, if Makoto's here or not." He turned to Shippou and Tani. "Shippou, you watch her until Makoto gets back. Don't let her out of your sight, and don't let her near Usagi or Keiji." Shippou nodded and InuYasha turned back and followed Sesshomaru down the hall to a small room at the end.

The room was scarcely furnished, like the rest of the castle, with just a table littered with pens and scrolls and a few mats to sit on around its edges. There were no windows or doors other than the one they came through, and that door was secured with chain locks. Sesshomaru obviously didn't trust anyone very much these days.

"So what's all this about, baka."

Sesshomaru glared at InuYasha from the other side of the table, but spoke as stoic as ever. "There is a war going on, InuYasha. One that can destroy the mortal race in the matter of weeks. This Sesshomaru has first hand experience with the enemies leader, Haru. He is foolish, ruthless, and stubborn, and will stop at nothing to seek his revenge. Haru already has a great army of youkai ready to attack the Western Lands under my protection."

"Keh. Are you actually asking **me** to help **you**? To save humans and hanyou?" InuYasha smirked.

"This Sesshomaru needs not the help of a half-breed. I merely give you the chance to defend your pack and do your duty as the son of our father."

**A/N:**

**Been awhile, been awhile. Yup. Anyway, things are starting to kick off. Coming up soon: Makoto's return, the beginnings of war, Kita faces a few old foes, and a whole bunch more. .; stay tuned in!**


	30. Touken

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 30: Touken**

"I'm telling you, Oyaji is the hot-headed one and Sesshomaru is ice cold. If you told him a giant bug just ate off his leg he'd just stand there as passive as ever." Shippou chuckled as he walked Kigai to the front entrance of the castle.

"He's just a leader. We're all a bit passive-like when we have to be." Kigai replied.

"Ha! You'll be lucky to even get an acknowledgement of your presence from the 'great Ice lord'. I swear, if you're looking to be thanked, you might as well forget it."

Kigai held his head high and regal-like as he Shippou lead him through the main hallway in the castle. There, Shippou hung back while an inu lead him further down the hall, which opened up into a large room where the inu lord stood waited. The inu-youkai that led him in quickly bowed and made his exit. Kigai bowed to the lord, and Sesshomaru gave a slight nod and motioned the wolf-prince to sit.

"Lord Sesshomaru, my tribe and I will be honored to fight along side of you and your kin. InuYasha has been our ally for a long time. My Okaa-san's tribe from the mountains has also agreed to join you, and should be arriving in a few days."

Sesshomaru looked off to the side. "Your tribe can find suitable places to stay outside of the castle grounds. This Sesshomaru will not have you wondering around in his presence."

"Very well, lord." Kigai stood back up and turned out the door and back down the hallway. Shippou was leaning propped against the wall with his arms crossed smirking as Kigai approached.

"Told ya."

Kigai chuckled. "He is a cold-shouldered one, isn't he? I would think that he'd be a bit more peppy since his daughter is a human. Or he could at least show a bit of gratitude that we're on his side of this war."

"Ha! Sesshomaru show gratitude? He'd rather have is other arm ripped off, eyeballs plucked out, and toes fed to the birds."

Kigai gave a quizzical look. "Toes?"

Shippou shrugged. "So I'm a bit off today, can you blame me?"

"Guess not. Your Okaa-san okay?"

"Yea. She'd be better if Makoto would just get his tail back here. I know he has to work things out, but we've more pressing matters right now." Shippou clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Oi. When did you get here?" InuYasha walked up with his arms crossed. "And where's that mangy wolf?"

"I just got here about an hour ago. Otou-san and Okaa-san are still in the mountain den. They'll be here in a few days." Kigai scratched the back of his head. "Care to get me updated on what's going on out there? Your brother doesn't seem like one to elaborate too much on things."

"Keh. A war is going on, that's what. Haru and his followers made it to the Southern Territories."

"Well, they won't catch us down there, now will they?" Kigai smirked.

"Nope. I think they managed to get a few of the southern bear-youkai and the bat-youkai tribe, though. We already know his has the North and East wolf-youkai tribes, the Northern eagle flocks, and the Eastern fox-youkai. That's all we're completely sure of, but he has more followers than that. Anyone with a distaste for humans is bound to show up."

"…What about our side? How are we fairing so far?"

"Keh. We've got a couple of wolf-packs, whatever is left of Sesshomaru's followers, a few of Shori's bat-relatives, and a few stray youkai and humans. All the rest are either with Haru or are trying their best to keep out of the fightings." InuYasha gazed intently at the stone floor, lost in his thoughts. They were fiercely outnumbered. What had began as a simple plot of revenge had become a war across half of Japan. Humans were being slaughtered in their villages; youkai pups were being trapped and murdered, leaving their vengeful parents to kill even more. Haru had turned his little feud into a blood-bath for the innocent and the real war hadn't even started yet. Kigai and Shippou seemed to be thinking the same thing, their gazes following InuYasha's as they, too, thought through the situation.

"Whatever happens, we can't let anything happen to the castle. Okaa-san, Tani, and the pups will all be here."

InuYasha nodded. "That's for you, Miroku, Sango, Makoto, Kita, and whoever else we can afford to spare. Maybe some of Kigai's tribe." He looked up at the two. "We can't loose this fight."

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Kagome placed the sleeping Gina down on her pallet and edged her way to the window on one side of the stone wall. The cool night air flowed through, making the dark curtains flap in the breeze and cast eerie shadows through the moonlight. She folded her arms against the frame and lay her chin down as she gazed out into the night. The front of the castle was lit with dozens of small camp fires from humans and youkai alike. She could see Kigai and his tribe huddled close to the castle gates, their wolf servants sniffing around, swiveling their ears to the sounds of the night.

Among the rest of the youkai were a few dragon-youkai, a fox tribe, what looked like a tiger clan with two humans and a little tiger-hanyou with neko ears and a long twitching tail, sitting under a darkened tree were two sets of golden eyes which Kagome knew belonged to a couple of eagle-youkai, there were even some reptilian and other youkai Kagome couldn't quite identify in the dark. In the sky was a swarm of bat-youkai. Kagome recognized Shori leading the others as they swooped and dived through the late night mists. Further back were groups of humans huddled against their fires or settling down for the night in small tents with their horses tied to trees and stumps. All together Kagome figured there were around two-hundred, while she had overheard from InuYasha and Sesshomaru that Haru was known to have around six-hundred followers. So far they were outnumbered 3-1.

She sighed. It was now two weeks since Kagome and the others had stayed in the castle, with no sign of Makoto. Sesshomaru made it known that that they couldn't wait for the boy any longer, and that the small army would be moving out first thing in the morning. Haru was slowly making his way back to the Western Lands, and Sesshomaru was bent on meeting him along the way and stopping them from reaching the castle. InuYasha would be leaving with them. He and Sesshomaru had ordered all the children, elders, and anyone else not fit to fight to stay in the castle. Shippou, Sango, Miroku, Kita, Yukio and a couple of other inu, and some of Kigai's men were to stay at the castle and protect it.

Kagome smiled as she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and gentle lips caress the back of her neck. InuYasha nuzzled his nose into her hair and pulled her away from the window, turning her in his arms and laying her against his chest. She nuzzled into him and sighed.

"Do you have to go?" she asked after awhile.

"You know I do." His answer came out dry. Kagome gave a half-hearted nod into his chest as he sat down with her in his lap. InuYasha just looked down and stared at her. He forced his golden eyes to memorize every feature of her face before focusing on her lips. He leaned down and barely brushed his lips against hers, calling out to her. Kagome situated herself so she was turned toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for another kiss. This time it wasn't so gentle, but a fierce, passionate kiss, full of unspoken fears and emotions.

InuYasha pressed his lips down harder on hers as Kagome tugged at his hair. When she dubbed him close enough, she released the silver locks and groped around until her fingers latched onto his fuzzy ears, rubbing then gently in rhythm with InuYasha's kisses. One of his arms snaked its way around Kagome's back while the other under her knees as he lay her down on the futon, not once breaking connection with her sweet lips. She sighed into his mouth as she felt the weight of his body over hers. InuYasha rubbed his hands against the contours of Kagome's side, moving slowly up her arms and grasping both of her hands above her head. A small whine from the other futon caught the couple's attentions and stopped InuYasha's advancement. He groaned, closing his eyes and laying his forehead against Kagome's.

Kagome pushed at his chest and rolled out from underneath him, making her way to where the pups where sleeping. Mehiji was whining in his sleep, one of his clawed hands scraping at the futon's material. Kagome rubbed one of his ears and the pup turned onto his stomach and laid still and silent. Gina, however, continued to whimper until InuYasha picked her up and tucked her in his arms. She was always more sensitive when it came to feeling the emotions around her. Sliver eyes met smooth golden one's as she stared up at InuYasha. It was as if she knew, and was asking her Oyaji not to leave them.

"Gina," he said getting her full attention, "Oyaji has to go away for awhile, but before you know it, I'll be back. Promise."

"Mak'to no back." She whined. "Oyaji go and Mak'to no back."

InuYasha let out a low growl. "Listen up, baby girl. Oyaji **and** Makoto are coming back. We've got things to take care of to make you safe and then we're getting outta this place and back home, you got that pup?"

Gina nodded and yawned. Satisfied that he had gotten his point across, InuYasha motioned for Kagome to join him as he lay on his back, putting the pup to rest on his chest. Kagome scooted Mehiji between them and grabbed hold of InuYasha's outstretched hand. InuYasha leaned over until his lips were right beside Kagome's ear. "You hear that, wench? We're all gettin outta this and goin home." He whispered gently before kissing her cheek and laying back down.

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The youkai Makoto snarled as he felt the uneasiness of the forest around him. The air was still and quiet, not like a forest should be. It should have been full of life and sounds this late in the morning, but not even the birds where making their usual annoying chirping and squawking noises. Youkai-Makoto twisted his ears around for any sound, sniffing the still air. There was something moving his way, no doubt that something was the same thing that had the forest dripping with fear. More curious than anything else, youkai-Makoto dropped his half-eaten prey to the ground and set off slowly toward the offending smell. As he got closer, his memory told him the smell was wolf-youkai, not any that he knew, but the smell had a familiarity to it. He was about to investigate his intruders when a clang from his side caught his attention.

Youkai-Makoto snarled and let out a low growl as he noticed the pulsing sword attached to his waist. His hand moved to the sword and removed it from the scabbard, holding in away in front of him with fangs bared. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the sword was something bad. It made him go away. That's all youkai-Makoto knew about it. Before he could figure out what to do with the sword, it started to glow a bright blue color. It started at the tip of the blade and worked its way down, past the handle, across Makoto's arm, and down his legs.

Soon the youkai's whole body was consumed by the light, and he wasn't too happy about it. He tried to drop the sword, but his hand wouldn't unclench. Then he began to feel himself change. His claws and teeth shrank down to nothing; his ears disappeared only to reappear in a fleshy heap on the side of his head. The rest of the time, youkai-Makoto was lost. His eyes turned brown as his hair turned black and his super strength and senses left him completely.

Makoto plopped down and lay back in the dirt with a heavy sigh. He looked down at his human hands and grunted to himself before grabbing Touken from and throwing it against the nearest tree. The sword clanged as it hit the ground and rolled until it was right back at his side. Makoto growled a strange human growl, taking the sword and throwing it with even more force. This time it went past the tree and disappeared through foliage. "Keh." Makoto smirked to himself. Then he strained his human ears at a metal clanging sound coming from behind a few bushes. He cursed under his breath and rolled to the side as Touken flung itself from the bush and impaled the ground where Makoto had been laying just seconds before. He knew that the sword was doing something to him, but every time to tried to get rid of it, the stubborn thing came right back. There had to be some sort of spell on the thing.

Makoto squeezed his eyes shut as the sun poked through the trees overhead. Everything was so sensitive in his human form. He remembered from last time the back of his neck, his cheek, and nose burned red from being exposed to the heated sun. He grumbled again. Ever since that first episode with the sword he had been changing from human, to youkai, and back to hanyou, and not necessarily in that order. The first time he turned human was right after Touken's images. The sword had pulsed, and as Makoto took it out from curiosity, he found the blade had changed its color into a soft blue. As he watched, the blue glow worked its way up his arm and covered his entire body. Then it forced him to transform to human. It was another five hours in that state until the sword pulsed again, turning sliver this time, and transformed him back to hanyou. A few hours after that, the sword pulsed again, with more force than the other two times.

Makoto figured what was going to happen, and refused to draw the sword from its scabbard. Touken shot out and landed directly in Makoto's hand with a red glow that worked its way around him and forced his transformation into youkai. He didn't remember very much from his transformation that time, but when Touken transformed him back to hanyou again there was no smell of blood or death. With every transformation he remembered a bit more than the last, but he still had no idea of what he was doing in the first place, and every time he fought against it.

That's what had kept him from meeting Kita and the others at the castle. A third of the time he was youkai, and who knows what he would do. Another third of the time he was human and practically defenseless. Wasn't the sword supposed to suppress his youkai side and **defend** him on human nights? Makoto planned on having a talk with his oyaji about whom he let make the sword for him. Maybe it was cursed, or he wasn't using it right. Or maybe something had just gone wrong with the sword, like it was malfunctioning? He was in human form in broad daylight for crying out loud!

Makoto huffed as he pushed himself to his feet, once again latching the hated sword to his side. He wanted to go to the castle to get things straightened out, but what if he transformed again? He could risk hurting the others, especially with Tani, Kagome, the pups, and other humans there, too. Shippou and InuYasha may be able to handle his youkai side, but they may not be able to stop him in time if he did transform. The only thing he could think of was to stay as far away as possible until he figured out what exactly it was that the sword wanted from him. If he had his hanyou ears, they would be dropping along with the dejected look on his face. Was he really going to have to make the choice between being a human or being a youkai?

He remembered back to just this past time he turned youkai. Makoto had half a mind to throw it down and run, but he knew that wouldn't work, so instead he had pulled it out and gazed at its color. Red. He didn't even try to fight against the stream of energy as it made its way up his arm, across his shoulders, down his legs. _'No, no, no, no no!!' _He remembered thinking to himself. His entire body pulsed and he started to feel the changes begin. His eyes had turned red, fangs and claws extended, purple stripes appearing on his cheeks. The last to go was his consciousness, all he remembered was dropping the sword and Touken launching itself back into its scabbard. Makoto remembered a bit of his venture as youkai. He had hunted most of the time, only small prey. Then he remembered the smell of wolves. It was probably Kouga's pack going to the castle, but there was no way he could tell now, not with just his human senses, and he could remember the scent enough to figure it out on his own. _'Better turn normal soon.'_ He growled to himself.

Without really paying attention, Makoto had started walking in the same direction as the wolves, toward the castle. He stopped himself. _'I want to see Kita.'_ He thought. _'But what if I hurt her? I can't let myself near her…not if I can't control my transformations.' _Touken shook at his side. This time Makoto completely lost his temper. The vein in his temple bulged out as he grabbed the sword and pulled it out in front of him. His grip on the hilt was so tight his knuckles where turning white. "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" he yelled, not feeling silly at all for yelling at an inanimate object. All the color drained from his face as he looked down at the blackening blade. Makoto felt the familiar tug as his gaze transfixed on the swirling darkness of the blade.

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Makoto flung his arms out to the side to wrap around the sleeping form of Kita. She mumbled something in her sleep as she turned and nuzzled against him with a sigh. Makoto cackled and used one hand to tickle at her ribs. Kita jerked away in a fit of giggles, grabbing his hand to stop his advancements and opened her eyes to stare up at him. Her intense emerald eyes cut straight through to his very soul. In one swift movement he threw a leg over and straddled her waist, pulling most of his weight on his hands just to the sides of her head. Her eyes fluttered closed as he leaned down, touching his nose and forehead with hers. Makoto let his lips barely touch Kita's in a chaste kiss before allowing his fangs to gently nibble at her bottom lip.

Just as Makoto had decided to stay like that for the rest of eternity, a loud crash broke them apart. His ears swiveled on top of his head for the location of the sound. He silently told Kita to stay where she was on the futon as he got to his feet and made his way to the window. Outside the castle he could see the early morning lights hitting the trees and dew covered ground. Everything thing seemed normal, until another crash and with it a swarm of youkai breaking through the tree-line. Makoto could just make out InuYasha, Kaiga, Shippou, and the others running out the front gates to meet the youkai head-on. He swiftly turned back to Kita, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall. He reached one room at the end and opened the door to find Kagome, Gina, and Mehiji huddled in a corner. Makoto shoved Kita through the door and gave her a look that told her not to leave the room.

Skidding to a stop at the other end of the hallway, Makoto leaped down the steps four at a time and made his way out into the front of the castle. There was already the scent of blood everywhere and bodies littered the front gate. InuYasha and the others were still holding back the horde from entering, but more and more were coming with each passing moment. Makoto tried to find where he would be the most use, taking down a wolf-youkai that had gotten past Shippou in the process. There was another loud booming noise that came from the castle. Makoto looked to the sky to see a herd of fire-horse youkai, each carrying a master on its back. Under their master's command they were forming giant fireballs with their mouths and front hooves and sending the flaming attacks soaring to the ground with a loud whistling sound.

Before long, the entire castle was lit by the flames on the surrounding grounds. The air filled with smoke and heat, the red and orange glow taking over the sun's hidden rays. Some of the stones from the castle were blasted off and landing among the frenzy of youkai. Another glance up and Makoto's fears were realized. A large portion of the top of the castle had been blown away, whether it was near enough to the room here his siblings, Okaa-san, and Kita were he had no idea. He saw the others rushing past him one by one. Miroku and Sango came back out holding on to their daughters, Shippou with Tani, InuYasha with Kagome and the pups, even Sesshomaru and Usagi managed to walk out with Keiji unscathed. But where was Kita?

Makoto's heart sank and a lump formed in his throat. He told her to stay in the room. Without a seconds hesitation he was running, shoving past the joyous others holding their loved ones close and stepped to the edge of the giant door. He brought his hands up to guard his face from the heated flames. It was almost unbearably hot, but he didn't have a choice, not with Kita trapped inside. Taking a deep breath Makoto closed his eyes as he lunged for the door and braced for the impact…which never came. He cautiously opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of the forest. Over the horizon was the castle, engulfed in flames, the smoke creating dark spirals into the sky.

How did he get way out here?! Now he would never be able to reach the castle in time to save Kita! Makoto hit his knees and howled in frustration, and something howled right back. He looked up into the smoke-covered sky to see two different shapes forming overhead, his youkai self and his human self. They both seemed to be arguing, then they both turned to Makoto and pointed down to the castle. "Choose."

**A/N:**

**This chapter was a bit long. Hmm. Oh well, I hope you don't mind. I'm going to try to get one more chapter up before Christmas, but no promises. Anyway, yes, the war is coming; blood, fights, glory, yadda yadda. Kita faces an enemy, Makoto continues to talk to his sword (which is kinda bossy in my opinion) and maybe we'll finally figure out what the sword is trying to tell him in return. Any guesses? Hmmm…**

**By the way, there was a slight hint about a surprise villain in the upcoming war. ;) **


	31. Shinobi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 31: Shinobi**

Haru smirked as the newest additions to his army finally arrived. He had his silver hair braided down his back, except for the loose forelocks in front covering his crescent moon scar, wearing a gold-colored hamaka and haori. The wolves circled him. Glaring at him as he rose to his feet. When their masters started to approach the wolves sat down, still surrounding Haru. The leader of the wolf tribe approached, wearing only a brown fur around his waist. His bare chest and face was covered with battle scars, his gray-lavender eyes looking over the inu-youkai with a cold glare.

"I'm Shinobi of the Northern wolf tribe. I take it that you are Haru?"

"Yes, and there's no time for further pleasantries. Get your men ready to move out with the first strike within the next hour."

The wolf growled. "I take it that you remember our deal?"

"Of course. You and your tribe help me kick Sesshomaru from his high-and-mighty seat and you can have the girl. Now, if you are finished, I have other matters to tend to." He watched the wolf give him one more glare before huffing and turning to leave, the wolves following close behind. "Taru." He called to his son. The other inu-youkai bent to one knee with his head bowed.

"Yes, Otou-san?"

"Make sure the wolf tribe does not survive the battle."

Taru nodded. "I shall see to it myself."

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They attacked only a few minutes after sundown, approximately sixteen hours since the majority of their forces left for the true battlefield. At first, no one thought too much of the ominous feeling surrounding the castle. Their friends and family had just left for a war after all, but soon that dreaded feeling escalated into panic as the first of the attacks on the castle began. Two giant-eared bat-youkai from Shori's clan acting as sentries had been among the first to see them coming. The herd of fire-horse youkai was being led by a giant, green-skinned youkai with giant fangs protruding from his bottom jaw. He seemed to be controlling them with a black-flamed whip. Any order he gave after cracking the whip, the horses quickly followed.

Inside the castle was nothing short of chaos. Bits of ruble fell, the stone walls crumbling from the attacks of oni. Everywhere youkai and humans were scrambling down stairs and corridors to the lower chambers away from the fighting. The stronger youkai and a few humans defended the castle as much as they could. Kagome and Kita were directing everyone to appointed locations as Miroku and Sango fought outside the castle against the onslaught. Shippou, Tani, and Rin took the kids down through the chaos and made sure they were safe before Shippou went back up into the fighting.

Kita was jumping over fallen bodies, checking a few to make sure they were dead, leading others down the corridor, and generally helping out as much as she could. Kagome was doing her best, but Kita could tell her strength was fading fast. This had to stop before the whole castle fell to the youkai. Kita stormed toward the front door and past the guards. It was pitch black except from a few torches and the fire and lights coming from various youkai. The she-wolf easily spotted Kirara, already branding a huge gash on her side while Sango took out a bear-youkai on the ground with her Hiraikotsu. Miroku was sticking close to her side throwing ofuda at anything that came too close.

Kita picked out the huge oni with the whip that was controlling the fire horse-youkai. She ducked under the beast and gave the back on its ankle a deep swipe from her claws. It let out a deafening roar as it hit one knee and simultaneously swung around its massive fist toward the she-wolf. She leaped out of the way and ran up the spine on the oni, coming to rest on its shoulder. The foul creature slapped at her and missed, twisting its full body around in circles in a feeble attempt at capturing the girl. She aimed at the base of the neck with her claws and sliced the spinal cord in one fluid motion. The oni fell forward with a crash and didn't move. Without commands, the two horses left began attacking without charge, both sides seen as a threat.

Down from the sky some kind of nocturnal creature flew and scrapped its talons across Kita's shoulder, digging into her flesh. She let out a yell laced with fury as the creature flapped its wings and her feet left the ground. From her position her claws couldn't reach the beast. Miroku turned and saw the girl in trouble, flying above his head, and quickly unleashed an ofuda. Kita let out a scream as the ofuda hit its mark, turning the youkai to dust but at the same time sending a shock through her shoulder where they touched. Miroku caught her in his arms and fell backward. She was cringing with her eyes closed tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kita, it was the only thing I could do at the moment." He apologized.

"It's alright, Miroku-sama." She replied through gritted teeth. "Thank you." Miroku set her back down on her feet and she looked around. Their forces were slowly driving back their attackers. But something wasn't right. The oni were retreating, the last of the other lesser youkai were retreating, even the semi-intelligent youkai was backing off. The wind howled through the trees as Kita sniffed the air. There was smoke and blood, corpse, dirt and dust, sweat, a variety of different people and emotions to go along with them. It was hard to discern one scent from another, but there was a deadly familiarity to one certain scent that kept evading her, downwind. A badly burned Shippou crouched by her side.

"You smell that, Shippou?" she asked. He took a big whiff.

"Something is sneaking around out there." He turned. "Kirara, can you still fly?" the fire-cat mewed an answer and took to the sky. Neko eyes scanned the darkness. A few seconds later the fire-cat returned, landing in front of the group and letting out a feral hiss toward the forest.

"What is it, Kirara?" Sango asked, heaving her weapon in position. Kirara roared and dug claws into the dirt, her tails sticking straight out and every inch of fir standing up on end. "What's out there?" The cat used its nose to push Sango toward Kita and started to rub against the she-wolf and meow. Kita paled as realization wiped over her and she let out an involuntary whimper. She sniffed the air again to check.

"Shinobi and my pack." She barley whispered.

"Your pack?" Miroku questioned.

"The northern wolf tribe. Haru must have recruited them."

Shippou growled low in his throat as, one by one, twelve wolf-youkai stepped out from the forest. The one Shippou could only assume as the leader stopped a few feet away, ignoring Shippou and looking directly to Kita. On instinct Shippou and Miroku stood in front of her, weapon and claws raised. Shinobi only glared.

"Kita. You betrayed your own tribe. You left without permission and now, here you are, hiding behind a pathetic human and a fox. How can you even live with yourself, knowing you're a traitor to your own pack?" He slowly circled, the other wolf-youkai chuckling behind him and following his lead.

"I'm not the traitor. You murdered my father!" Kita yelled, stepping in front of her protective duo.

"Politics. You father became weak. That in turn made our pack weak. He had to be disposed of."

"What about my mother?! She didn't have anything to do with you!"

"She was a weak link. As much as I despise it, after your father took that human as a mate, she became part of the pack. I will not allow humans in my pack. You're lucky I elected you keep you around."

Kita shook her head. "I won't go back."

"You don't have a choice. You can't fight your instincts. You can't fight your loyalty to the pack, and you know it. You'll kill yourself before you go up against me and the rest of your…'family'." Shinobi's cold stare was left unchanged as Kita lowered her head.

She knew he was right. It was hard enough convincing herself to leave the pack in the first place. Going against them, fighting them? It would kill her. Instincts in a pack are too strong to ignore. No, she couldn't fight them and then live with the conviction of a complete betrayal of her pack. But she wasn't about to just stand around and let Shinobi kill her new family. She wasn't ever going to go back with them.

Kita let out a feral growl and leaped through the air with her claws raised. She sliced the unmoving pack leader across the face on the first attack. Shinobi turned his head with the attack, thin lines of blood trailing down his cheek. The glare in his eyes turned red with anger as he raised his hand to his face, smearing the blood on his fingers. With unforeseen speed Shinobi was by Kita's side and backhanded her across her face. Her entire body turned with the impact, causing her to trip on her feet and fall to the ground.

Shippou moved to her side and helped her back to her feet. The action was like a signal to the others. The wolf-youkai created a circle around Kita, Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. They sprang on the group all at once. Shippou created a wall behind them using his foxfire to keep the wolf-youkai from attacking from behind. Three of the wolf-youkai was attacking him at once. One punched him directly in the gut. Shippou doubled over and was hit on the back by one of the other wolves.

Miroku and Sango were standing back to back with each other. Too close of range for using her Hiraikotsu, Sango pulled out her kodachi just in time to block the claws of one of the youkai from taking off Miroku's head. Miroku gave a smile of gratitude as he knocked back another youkai with his staff. Kirara was struggling with the wolves of the wolf-youkai. She let out a roar as two bit down on her front paw. The fire-cat swiped at another with her good paw and bit down on another with her fangs, shaking her head and sending the wolf flying into another.

Shinobi and Kita's eyes were locked within the battle. He attacked with his full speed but Kita matched every move Shinobi made with blocks. Shinobi swiped at her with his claws as she blocked his round-house kick to the side. His claws caught the edge of her kimono, shredding pieces in the sleeve. She ducked another blow but couldn't act in time to block a shot in her lower ribs. Kita wrapped her arm around the abused flesh and winced at the pain. The wolf-youkai took that open moment to slam his elbow down between Kita's shoulders, bringing her to her knees.

Kita fell hard but managed to duck and roll as Shinobi made another move against her. She stood to her feet and charged. Shinobi side-stepped and Kita ran past him. He brought his claws down, grazing her back. She let out a scream of pain and frustration as she whirled around with one clawed hand reaching for Shinobi's throat. Her hand froze in midair, only inches away from her target.

She couldn't do it. As much as she told herself it was the only thing she could do, she couldn't fight Shinobi. Every fiber in her being told her that fighting him was wrong. It felt wrong down to her bones. So she did as best she could. Shinobi took Kita's thought filled moment to his advantage, slashing her outstretched arm and bringing his foot down on her bad ankle. She could almost feel the bones breaking all over again. Stumbling upright, she found that she couldn't put any pressure at all on her foot. Kita was on complete defense against Shinobi's attacks. Hit after hit she felt her strength waver. A glance to her friends told her they were fairing better. A few of the youkai on their side had already joined in the fight. She smiled to herself. They would be okay.

Kita, however, was slammed into the dirt from Shinobi's round-house kick to the head. She was dazed. Her ears throbbed from the lack of sound. Her eyes became unfocused and blurry. With everything going on around her she pulled herself to her knees and sighed. Her thoughts faded from the battle. If she was going to be killed the last thing she wanted to be thinking about was fighting. She hated fighting. There was only a few times that she had willingly fought. Those times were centered around one being: Makoto.

Shinobi spit on the dirt beside her. "It all comes down to loyalty, Kita, just as I've said. Yes, I killed your parents, but for the better of our family. Now," he kicked her side and made her fall forward, "I'm willing to forgive you this time. All you have to do is say the word, and we go back home. We forget about this. Everything goes back to the way it should be."

Kita took a deep breath, catching herself for a moment as her ribs complained to the movements. "Just get this over with." She grunted.

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Makoto groaned as he sat up; head thrumming from the latest vision from Touken. Everything was still so fresh in his mind. He crossed his arms and legs and closed his eyes to think. Touken was telling him something, but what? In the first vision, he couldn't protect anyone because he was either human or youkai. This time he couldn't protect Kita because he was in the forest, not with her. In both instances his human and youkai self told him to choose. What was he suppose to choose? Makoto was pretty sure by now that they weren't speaking of choosing _between_ the two. But what else could they have meant? He remembered back to the two figures in the smoke pointing down at the castle. Touken wanted him to go back there. What if he transformed while there? Was he just going to have to trust the sword? What if the thing really had been cursed and it was trying to lead him to disaster?

_'Kita..'_ he thought. It had been so **real**; he could still feel the heat from the flames, the softness of her touch… Makoto got to his feet with a grunt. He had made his decision, no, Kita had made his decision for him. Transformation or no transformation, he had to be with her. He smirked at the thought of seeing her. It had been only two weeks, but that was far too long. Thousands of thoughts tumbled in his head as he broke into a run. Human: he was too weak. Youkai: he was too dangerous. Hanyou: he was both. Good, bad, weak, strong. An hour later Makoto cursed his human blood as the effects of his run started taking control of his body. His leg muscles ached, he was breathing hard, and he was slow.

Finally he had to sit down for a rest, spreading his legs beneath him and his arms beside him on the ground with a heavy pant. His eyes fell on the darkening sky. "You want me to rescue Kita but you turn me human! How am I suppose to save her when I can't even get to her?!" he yelled as soon as he had breath to yell. As an answer, the sword pulsed.

"No. No no no no no no no. Don't even start that crap again!" Makoto sat up and pulled out the sword with a human growl. "I want to be hanyou! Hear me? HANYOU!" Touken pulsed, changed its color to silver. Makoto raised an eyebrow and grunted. It couldn't be just that simple… could it? He said it again, this time less forcefully and more meaningfully. "Hanyou."

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**A/N:**

**Sorry it took so long. Classes really overwhelmed me this past semester, but with that over with and summer here hopefully I'll be able to update more often. .;;**


	32. Shinobi II

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 32: Shinobi**

InuYasha sighed as he fell backward onto the cold, hard ground and spread out his arms to his side. Just eighteen hours ago he was saying goodbye to Kagome and his pups. He just couldn't believe how much he missed them already. Eighteen hours. Not even a full day. Now the group had made camp, the sun had set, stars were out, and InuYasha couldn't be more miserable. His ears were flat on his head and he narrowed his eyes.

"What's with the long face, mutt?"

InuYasha growled. "Leave Kouga, unless you want that tail as a permanent decoration springing out of your throat."

"Touchy, touchy. Anyway, I wouldn't be anywhere near you if it was up to me. Your brother wants to have a word with you."

InuYasha stood up and pushed past Kouga with his shoulder. He pulled back the flap to the center tent were Sesshomaru and other youkai had already gathered. Kouga came in not far behind and leaded against a support beam with his arms crossed, glaring daggers into InuYasha's back.

"About time you joined us, InuYasha." Sesshomaru stated without looking in InuYasha's direction.

"Keh."

"Continue Reotsu." Sesshomaru nodded to another inu-youkai who stood in front of the others.

"As I was saying, our scouts weren't able to get much information on Haru or Taru's whereabouts, nor are they completely sure about where the army is gathering. The only signs are still further to the southeast. All the locals have verified that large groups of youkai have been seen traveling in that direction."

"How long ago?" InuYasha asked.

"Only a couple of days ago."

"If they're right, then Haru's army is most likely already gathered and ready for attack. That means he could be on his way to the Westernlands right now." InuYasha narrowed his eyes in thought. "We should meet them on the way if that's the case, unless…"

"Unless Haru decides to take an alternate route. Then we're pretty much left wandering around until we decide to double back. By then he would have already beaten us." Kouga finished his thought.

"We can't do anything with the lack of information we have right now. I'm not going to sit around and wait to see what Haru has planned, and we can't go forward without knowing more about what lies ahead," voiced InuYasha.

"Then what do you suggest, mutt-face?"

"First off, we need more information. The youkai in these parts can't be trusted, they could already be spies for Haru. Send some of the humans into the villages around here. By experience I know that news of youkai gatherings and attacks reaches human villages very quickly and spreads like wildfire. If Haru and his followers are anywhere near here the humans would be a more reliable source."

One human present stepped forward. "I volunteer myself and a few of my men."

"Good. It is settled then." Sesshomaru turned to the rest of the group. "We shall stay here until further information is gathered."

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Kagome put the last stitch in the wound on Rin's arm, bandaged it, and looked around the large underground room for the next patient. There were humans, youkai, and hanyou spread out everywhere. Young, old, and crippled. Everyone that was able was above in the fighting.

"Kagome-sama, I think you should come look at this." Tani called from across the room.

Kagome nodded and turned to Rin. "Can you watch the pups for a second?"

"Of course." Rin replied.

Kagome walked over and kneeled at the edge of the futon beside Tani. There was a Tiger youkai kitten laying on the futon with a nasty gash across his forehead, his grandmother sitting on the other side.

"I don't know what to do, it won't stop bleeding."

"I'll handle it. You go and check on the others, Tani." Kagome reached in her bag and pulled out a needle and thread. She used a cloth to clean the cut and started to work. The kitten growled and bit Kagome's hand. "Shhhh…" she rubbed his burnt-orange hair back out of his face, "It's alright. This will fix you right up." The grandmother grabbed his hand and let out a loud, calming purr, allowing Kagome to quickly finish the job.

After several more fix-ups on hanyou, youkai, and human alike Kagome finally settled down with Rin, Tani and the pups.

"Kagome-sama?" Usagi approached, Keiji in tow.

Rin ran up and grabbed Keiji, wrapping him in a tight squeeze. "Are you two alright? This Rin was so worried! Have you seen Yukio?"

"We're fine, Rin, and I'm glad to see you are too. The last time I saw Yukio he was running up to fight with the others. I'm sure he's safe enough, though. Right now we have bigger problems. Smoke is drifting down from the stairwell. The top levels must have caught fire."

Kagome nodded as she processed the new information. "Then we need to get everyone out now. Get everyone who is able to help the injured. Make sure no one is left behind. We're out of here as soon as everyone is taken care of."

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Makoto leapt through the trees with full hanyou speed. Grabbing a branch, he flung himself into the air, flipping into a summersault; hand-planting the ground and pushing himself back up into the air. He let out a triumphant yell as his feet hit the ground and he was off running again. His ears twitched as the wind blew in them. He had to admit, it felt good to be hanyou again. His relief was short lived as flames from the castle rose from the horizon. Bright orange lit the sky and reflected in his eyes. Makoto growled in annoyment when the smell of charred flesh and spilled blood hit his sensitive nose.

"Kita, Okaa, the pups… I should have been there for them! If something happened it's all my fault because I'm freakin not there like I should be!" Makoto slammed his fist against a tree as he passed it and kept moving. The flames of the castle were huge and still so far away.

"There's gotta be some way I can get there faster…" Makoto shook his head as soon as the thought entered. "I can't allow that. I won't become youkai." He continued to rush, the closer he became the stronger the smells and the stronger his fears became.

_What if I lose control again? What if something happens just like with Akina?_ He thought to himself. Makoto sniffed. The smell of wolves was all over the area. A whole pack of them, the scent familiar but Makoto had never met a pack except for Kouga's and Kita…

_Could Haru have recruited her pack?! Are they the one's attacking the castle?!_

Makoto let out a ferocious snarl as he drew Touken, the edges already changing color as he spoke: "Youkai."

The change started immediately. Makoto felt his entire body pulse with the sword as he started to glow red. First to change was his claws. His long, hanyou claws extended and curved even further out, the edges razor sharp. The muscles on his arms, legs, and chest bulged out making his frame nearly double in size. His fangs extended over his lower lip as stripes appeared across his cheeks. The last to change were his eyes. They changed from their normal gold to pitch black.

The transformation complete, Makoto put his sword back in the scabbard and cracked his knuckles with a smirk. It. Felt. _Great._ He could feel every cell in his body energized to the core. Every fiber of his being was jumping for joy at the rush of adrenaline and complete power surging through his blood. Makoto could have lost himself in the feeling right there, but thanks to his even more attuned senses, his sense of smell was working overtime. Yes, the wolf-youkai that were heading toward the castle were somehow related to Kita. He could also smell Kita, even from that distance; he could smell her fear, her blood, and her resolve.

He growled. Not just a little 'angry' growl. Not even a growl that would mark him as furious. This was a growl of untended rage. A growl that curved his lips from his fangs and vibrated though his bones. A growl that made the forest around him grow suddenly very still and quiet.

He soundlessly starting sprinting through the trees, having no problems avoiding anything in his way: right, right, left, jump, right, duck, slash. Anything he couldn't avoid fell to the mercy of his claws. Within no time at all he had put half the distance behind him and was that much closer to his goal.

Makoto was surprised that he could almost think completely like himself. He admitted to himself he was thinking at a lower, almost primal level, but all the same his thoughts were his own. He understood what was happening, where he was going, and whom he was going after. He figured as long as he held on to that knowledge everything would be okay in his transformed state. Skidding to a stop in front of the castle he was amazed at how much speed he had actually gained. What would have taken him another good hour of running had only taken him twenty minutes or so.

It didn't take long for Makoto's attention to settle on a particular fight. Kita, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou were surrounded by the wolf-youkai he had smelled earlier. While the others were fighting off some of the wolf-youkai, Kita was in a face-off against their leader. It took everything he had not to jump into the fight the first time Kita fell to the ground, but this was her fight. She had to make up her mind on how she would deal; a family matter. He would wait until she really needed him. Inside Makoto was screaming to interfere at the smell of her blood, but he knew his youkai was right.

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Kagome held Gina and Mehiji close to herself under the blanket she had wrapped them in. She coughed through the thick smoke as she made her way down the halls. There was so much rubble that several times she had to turn around from dead ends. Rin and Tani were following at her heels, along with the others that had been hidden away below the castle for 'safety'.

"Kagome-sama," Tani coughed, "It's getting hard to breathe in here."

"I know, Tani, just help me find a way out!" her own ragged voice rang out. The pups coughed from under their blanket and Kagome pulled them closer. She stumbled around trying to avoid the rubble and flames.

"Rin? Rin!"

"Yukio!" Rin jumped into the inu-youkai's arms and nearly sent them both tumbling over.

"All of you grab on to each other. Kagome-sama, hold on to me. This whole place is about to collapse."

With Rin plastered to his chest, Kagome shifting the pups to one arm and grabbing hold of his haori, and others doing the same behind her, Yukio led the group through the corridors. At some places they were practically walking on the walls to escape the fire licking at the other side. Hot stone and burning wood fell from the ceiling, raining down on their heads. Kagome cringed as a piece of the burning wood fell on her outstretched arm but refused to let go of Yukio's haori.

"Hold on, it's only a little further." He reassured. Soon the heat started to die down a bit and Kagome and the others could see a giant hole in the wall that led outside of the castle. Yukio jumped through and put Rin back on her feet, reaching out his hand and helping Kagome and the others over the last of the ruble and out into the fresh air. As soon as she was a good distance away Kagome fell to her knees and put the blanket covering the pups on the ground.

Mehiji whimpered and ran over to Kagome, grabbing the bottom of her kimono with his tiny claws. Kagome patted and rubbed his back, shushing his cries. Gina sat still and looked over her shoulder toward the castle, her little ears swiveling around.

"Okaa…" she said in a small voice, "K'ta." She raised a clawed hand and pointed off in the distance. Her mother tending to Mehiji, Gina made her way to the she-wolf.

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Kita grunted as her shoulder slammed the ground. Shinobi stood over her with an impassive expression on his face. She shook herself off and stood to her feet, legs already getting shaky. Shinobi waited till she got all the way back on her feet before bringing his knee up to her stomach. Kita doubled over from the impact, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she started up a coughing fit.

"It was your last chance. There will be no other." He replied.

"Fine with me." Kita retorted, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were wild and unfocused, flashing from their normal emerald color to a deep purple. She transformed. Claws and fangs extending, her black hair laced with traces of gold. The last to appear were two yellow triangles under her eyes and a yellow eight-pointed star on her forehead.

"Spitting image of Moriji." Shinobi commented when the transformation was complete. "How disgraceful for you to wear the mark of pack leader." He pulled back his hair to reveal the eight-point star on his own forehead. "There can only be one pack leader, girl. I earned that right when Moriji fell to my claws."

Kita smirked, one fang hanging over her lower lip. "That symbol you wear is nothing more than a forgery. A _lie_. The symbol I wear is a right given to me at _birth_ by my father, our _leader_. He named _me_ as the heir. You want the right? Then come take it."

Shinobi sneered and rushed for Kita. Kita hand-planted the ground and kicked both feet into the air, her left foot catching him in the stomach while her right cuffed around the back of his head. Shinobi managed to grab the pad and heel of Kita's left foot and twisted it around, making Kita flip to the ground; but not before her right leg wrapped around the back of his neck. Kita landed on top of Shinobi's chest. Shinobi grabbed Kita by her hips and flipped her over his head. Her back hit the ground with a thud and she let out a puff of air. Shinobi backflipped himself over her and straddled across her stomach, pinning her arms to her sides. Kita struggled beneath him, finding just enough strength to flip her legs under Shinobi's arms and kick him off of her. She rolled to the side and jumped to her feet. Shinobi kneeled on one knee and punched the ground with his fist growling.

Kita growled, arching her back and bending down low, baring her fangs and ears standing straight up on her head. Shinobi again made the first move. He rushed her, but as she readied herself he changed direction, coming up to her left side kicking her leg where it had been broken. Kita whimpered as the strength in her leg gave way and she fell to the ground.

"First rule of a leader, little girl, never show a weakness. When you attacked with that leg you were hesitant. That's all I needed to know."

Kita grunted and hobbled to her feet. Shifting most of her weight to her good leg made her a bit off balance, but she knew she could still fight. Shinobi circled her in a slow stride, eyes narrowed and glaring. Kita knew if he kept attacking her weaknesses she wouldn't last much longer, and that's exactly something Shinobi would do. He had to take him out first. Don't give him the chance to put her out of commission.

"Gina!" Kita's ears swiveled and her eyes averted to the side at the sound. Kagome was running toward her, as was a small silver and black streak. Gina.

That distraction was all Shinobi needed. As the pup made her way to Kita's side, he struck with his claws. Kita's face was streaked in blood thanks to Shinobi's claws. She attacked him, drawing blood with her own claws, and with a kick to the stomach sent Shinobi tumbling across the ground.

"K'ta!" Gina grabbed for the transformed Kita. Kita spun around and released and angry snarl. The startled pup skittered backward with her ears lowered to the side of her head and whimpered.

"Gina…" Kagome sighed in relief as she reached the pup and took Gina into her arms.

"Get that pup out of here." Kita growled. Kagome only nodded and walked backward to where Mehiji and the others stood watching.

Shinobi made it back to his feet and Kita leaped. The two fell to the ground tumbling, a tangled mess of blood, claws, and fangs. It ended in a short yelp from Kita as Shinobi landed on top of her with his fangs digging into her neck. She struggled beneath him and yipped and his fangs pierced her skin.

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**A/N:**

**Special thanks to wolf dot org for helping me get the behaviors kinda-sorta right. **

**Question: Do you like having Japanese words incorporated into stories or not?**

**Oh, and just for fun, if someone were to make a live-action InuYasha movie, what actors/actresses would you what to play the character's parts?**


	33. Leader

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

**Chapter 33: Leader**

Makoto decided he had waited around long enough. One quick leap and he was by Kita's side, ripping Shinobi off of her by the scruff of his neck. Makoto pulled the stunned wolf-youkai into the air leaving his feet dangling above the ground. Kita wouldn't have it though. As soon as Shinobi's fangs left her neck she was back on her feet. She plowed into the hanging Shinobi with her shoulder, sending him flying through the air, hitting the ground hard and skidding to a stop yards away. Kita wasted no time charging forward again, just as Shinobi started to push himself back up. Before he could regain his awareness Kita latched her fangs into his shoulder and they went tumbling again. Makoto decided it was time for him to finish the fight before Kita really got hurt. When Makoto approached, Kita had completely turned the tables on Shinobi, her claws wrapped around his throat while he clawed at her forearms. Makoto reached down and pulled Kita back. Feral eyes glared back as she struck Makoto's cheek with her claws. Shinobi lay still on the ground gasping for breath. Kita jerked her arm away from Makoto's grasp and growled.

_Wha…?_ Makoto thought to himself. Kita was turning on him? Even in her youkai state she should be able to recognize him. He squared his shoulders and looked at the wolf. "Back down, girl. You're done."

"You keep out of this, dog!" she spat back. Only out of pure shock did Makoto do as instructed. A dozen things hit him at once. He felt pride at Kita's strength, fear for what was happening, a little hurt at her comment, but mostly he felt furious.

Hearing a loud gasp Makoto turned to see Kagome, the pups, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Tani, along with the others and the members of Shinobi's pack watching the fight. Everything else had stopped for the ongoing battle between the wolf-youkai. Kita, keeping her injured leg out of the fray, still had the upper hand. One of her knees dug into Shinobi's stomach; her forearm was held firmly against his throat as her nails imbedded into his shoulder. Shinobi snarled and, grabbing Kita's wrist and elbow, twisted her arm and shoved her to the side. He roared out as Kita's claws sank deeper in his flesh.

"The pack is mine!" he yelled, fangs lowering to take hold of her throat once more. Kita released her hold on his shoulder for the time being and focused on Shinobi's advances. He bit down close to her jugular and Kita became as still as stone. She perked her ears and snarled, letting Shinobi know he had the upper hand but she would never submit to him. Flipping them both over in one fluid movement, her knee landed on his groin and his fangs released her as he let out a howl of pain. That moment was what Kita had been waiting for. While Shinobi groaned lying on his back, Kita circled him, eyeing him. She struck. It was quick. It was silent. It was _deadly_.

There was a mixture of gasps, growls, and whimpers from the bystanders as Kita wiped the blood from her claws. Shinobi lie on the ground, throat slashed, still alive and choking on his own blood. What seemed like forever was only a minute or two with no sound but his gurgling. Kita stood above him, eyes glazed over with a fixation on the blood caked around her.

"Enough!" Kagome shouted, stepping out from the crowd. "End it now, Kita, please!" she sobbed. Kita smirked sadistically and lowered her foot, crushing Shinobi's esophagus with a sickening crunch and a pop. The wolf-youkai's body faded to dust under her foot, a spiral of light shooting from the ground to the mark on Kita's forehead. The star shone bright gold for a few seconds then disappeared. There was another round of gasps and shocked expressions as the star became more prominent and Kita's hair became completely golden.

"Kita…" Makoto gritted through his teeth. _This is __**not**__ Kita! Her youkai has taken control of her thoughts. _"Kita calm down. You can't let yourself lose anymore of your control."

Kita ignored him, turning to her new pack. She was their Alfa now, but would they listen? There was always a chance the pack would turn on their new leader, especially if they didn't think them competent enough. Kita didn't really feel like having them around right now anyway, not with the shape she was in and the lack of knowledge of their loyalty. "All of you. Out of here. NOW!" There were a few yips and more snarls as the pack turned to the forest. Kita gave a quick nod of approval as the last member of the pack, however reluctantly, disappeared into the tree-line.

Makoto had backed down and made his way to Kagome's side as Kita seemed to be planning her next move. At his approach Kagome stepped in front of the crowd shakily and pushed the pups behind her. Makoto was taken back by her fearful attitude before he remembered his current transformation.

"It's alright, Okaa-san." He cooed as well as his husky new voice would allow.

"Makoto? How?"

"Touken. It has the power to… transform me."

"But, you're able to control your youkai?"

Makoto shook his head. "Not that simple. Takes…concentration. Getting easier longer I stay transformed, though." He answered. "Okaa, everyone needs to leave. Now. Kita… she can't control. Dunno what she may do."

Kagome nodded and took the time to wrap her arms around his neck for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You be careful, Makoto." She released him and turned to the others. "We're going to find somewhere to set up a camp farther away from the castle. Anyone who is able should be helping the injured." Makoto looked away as his mother led the group from the ruins of the castle and turned his attention back to Kita. She was curiously inspecting the spot where Shinobi's ashes were still being swept up by the wind. Cocking her head to one side, picking up the cloth that served as his clothing, and throwing it back to the ground.

"Kita." Her ears twitched to his voice but otherwise showed no sign that she knew he even existed. "Kita, you need to control."

"I am in control, Makoto, more then you think I am." She spoke clearly after a short pause. She took a moment to fiddle with part of Shinobi's clothing she found interesting before she tossed that aside as well and stood from her crouch. "I told you before. You said you understood. I knew you didn't."

"What are you talking about?"

Kita smirked and shook her head. She looked at her hair and began to toy with it as if she had just realized its new color. "I told you who I was. You _knew_," she spayed her fingers and held her arms out to the side, "you _knew_ this is what I am. I told you." She repeated.

"I don't understand Kita. Just change back!" he ordered, his voice becoming more demanding.

"What difference will it make? Youkai or hanyou I'm one in the same! I _kill_. Up until now it was for others. This time it was all _me._ _I_ killed for _me_." Makoto growled. He really didn't like the way Kita was talking. He really, _really_ didn't like the way she was talking. "You want that poor, sweet, little wolf-hanyou you feel so fondly for? I'm **her**! She is **me**! That little wolf-hanyou has done far more then this, killed far more beings in much more horrible ways then this." She looked him dead in the eyes. "Shinobi had an easy death compared to others. Some just pups no older then your brother and sister." Kita nearly whispered. Makoto could have sworn he saw a flash of green in her eyes, but it quickly faded. "I can fight. My father taught me everything, never expecting that his daughter was a born killer, as fate would have it, who only knows how to murder, even the innocent."

"It's not true, Kita! You weren't in control of yourself, you're NOT in control of yourself."

"THEIR BLOOD IS STILL ON ME! Does it matter how?! By what means?! NO! When I was too weak to kill, I was controlled to kill. Now look… no one is pulling strings… and they still fall by my hands…"

Makoto ignored the rambling he knew wasn't Kita. "Change back! I don't want to use force, but I will!"

"Be my guest." She spat.

Makoto let his anger fuel his movements. He had to let Kita know she was not in charge. He had given her a command and she had refused him; that just would not do. In an instant he was behind her. She retaliated, dragging her claws down the length of his arm. He gritted his teeth from the pain, twirling her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, and then pulled her back flush against his chest. He put his chin on her shoulder and breathed in her ear: "Let it go." Kita struggled against him. Twice she almost managed to make Makoto lose his footing but he was quick to recover, then making her fall on her knees and he sat on the back of her legs, his own knees on the outside of hers.

"Kita." He used his fangs to nip at the sores on her neck, adding a comforting lick in between the nips. Kita struggled once more before giving in, her body going slack against Makoto's chest, she whimpered and flattened her ears.

"I don't want to go back…" she pleaded even as her change began.

"Shhh…" He loosened his grip as her hair changed from gold back to black. He grabbed the hilt of Touken. "Hanyou." Then as he changed, he turned her so she was sitting in his lap. Makoto closed his eyes and rocked her. He wished she didn't remember anything. He wished she would never know exactly what went on, like with him and Akina. One look in her eyes told him she remembered…everything.

"Makoto…" she whimpered, muffled from having her face hidden in his kimono. The scene reminded him of when Kita was huddled in the corner of the hut when they first truly met. Broken again. He sighed and pulled her closer as she began to shake all over. He did his best to comfort her. She raised a hand and gently outlined the claw marks she left on his arm. She turned in his arms, eyes suddenly wide, and raised her hand to also outline the marks on his cheek, then broke down into a chorus of "I'm sorry" and "please don't leave".

"Everything's fine now, I'm not going to leave." She continued to mutter unknown pleas into his chest for the better half of an hour before exhaustion finally settled down on her, as she fell into a deep, restless sleep. He sat with her for another solid hour. Holding her, rubbing behind her ears, kissing her forehead, anything to will away bad dreams. Then he shifted her in his arms as he stood to his feet and started following Kagome's trail. He found the group in a small field a couple of miles from the castle. Youkai, hanyou, and humans bustled around the grounds carrying blankets, food, water, and other supplies. Some were helping erect shelters for the injured, old, and young.

"Makoto, we're here!" Kagome was waving from a small lean-to on the other side of the field. "How is she?" she asked as Makoto laid Kita next to the sleeping Mehiji and Gina.

"I don't know." He replied. There was a short pause. "Can you watch her? I'm going to see what I can do to help." He stood and left, not even catching Kagome's nod. He set to work chopping down bamboo stalks and setting them up in the ground and helping hoist weaved branches on top for roofs. As he lifted a particularly heavy bamboo frame for the back wall, half the weight was suddenly lifted. Makoto looked to his right. Shippou had the other end. His face was straight, sober, and he gave a small nod. Makoto nodded back, and they both lifted the frame together.

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InuYasha grunted as he made his way back to the main tent to greet his half-brother. He wasn't disappointed. Sesshomaru stood off to one side surrounded by some of the other leaders. Kouga, to InuYasha's disappointment, being one of them.

"InuYasha." Sesshomaru called, finally noticing the hanyou's presence.

"Another human group returned. Same as the others. Every village within distance around here is either completely destroyed or abandoned. Not so much as a rouge samurai to gather information from." InuYasha replied.

"There is still one more group. They should be arriving at any moment." Sesshomaru waved his hand and the group dispersed, with the exception of Kouga.

When all the others disappeared, InuYasha approached. "We need to start back to the west. Knowing Haru, he's trying to lead us as far away from the lands as possible."

"Shows what you know, Mutt-face. Haru was last seen heading to the southeast. There's no way a group that large could have gotten past all our scouts. I say we head out and follow them. The longer we delay, the more time they have to get things together."

InuYasha growled and looked to Sesshomaru for his thoughts. Sesshomaru looked from one to the other, considering each perspective with an impassive gaze. Before he could give the command, a middle aged human man pushed through the flap of the tent. He fell to his knees before he even made it past the entrance. Humans and youkai followed behind him, each with worried or curious eyes.

InuYasha was the first to the man's side. "What did you see?" he demanded.

The man was taking deep, raspy breaths. "They…they're _everywhere_!" He banged his fist to the ground and clinched his teeth. "We were headed to the villages to the west. They were all empty. But…but… _they_ showed up just as we were heading back. The others were killed. I was able to light smoke-bombs and get away."

"Keh. If you got away, it means they're not worried about their location being revealed. And that means they're planning on attacking us first."

"How far?" Sesshomaru was by InuYasha's side.

"Not far. They will be here within the hour, if that is their wish. At least a thousand head strong."

InuYasha turned and mumbled incoherent words under his breath. Kouga grit his teeth and tightened his hands into white-knuckled fists.

"Get everyone ready to move." Sesshomaru spoke up.

"What's your plan?" InuYasha asked.

"The only alternative is to meet Haru head on. This Sesshomaru will not be 'snuck' up on."

The man had already left the tent and he along with the others that were hovering just outside the tent were busy spreading the word around the small camp. InuYasha and Kouga turned to each other and smirked. It was the first time they both had the thought of a good fight in their heads, without it involving each other.

**A/N:**

**Just wanna know, at the beginning of the chapter how many reviewers were like "Omg… SHE'S EVIL!"**

**Lol. Just for a bit of personal enjoyment. **

**I know this chappie is a bit short, sorry about that, but the "BIG" battle is coming up in the next chapter or two. Thanks for hanging in there with me, the journey is almost over! **


	34. Final Battle Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

**Chapter 34: Final Battle Part 1**

Half the humans were set in the front lines hidden by the foliage of the forest. Not that it would help against the strong sense of smell of the youkai they were up against, but it made them feel better none the less. A few hundred yards back waited the rest of the humans and the youkai temporarily at truce with one another under the leadership of the inu lord, Sesshomaru. He stood in the front of the youkai line; his half-brother, InuYasha, to his right and the wolf-youkai, Kouga, to his left.

Behind him stood the remainder of his loyal inu-youkai brethren and the wolf-tribe members that followed Kouga, including Ayame. Behind them were the rest of the humans and youkai ranged from the small, thin figured snake-youkai of the south to the muscular tiger-youkai of the east. All stood with either hands on various weapons or with their own natural weapons at the ready.

As soon as the youkai stepped across an invisible pre-selected line, the human front stood and grabbed smoke bombs, stink bombs, and anything else they had created to numb the senses of youkai and hurtled them across. The youkai in front took the blunt of the blow, some falling to their knees, others passing out completely. The remaining more lucky sensitive nosed youkai made way for the lesser sensitive youkai and oni to break through. The humans on the front retreated back behind the lines and the first wave of youkai followed close behind.

InuYasha drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath, his trademark cocky smirk clear across his face as the weapon transformed into its full form. His sharp eyes scanned the oncoming youkai for any sign of Haru or his son, but only lesser youkai could be seen at this point. The first wave hit full force, and the battle had started.

"Wind-scar!" the force of InuYasha's attack took out most of the front line, but the next wave came right behind them. He growled as the two fighting groups got so tangled together it was impossible for him to use the technique without taking out youkai and humans on his side as well.

"Looks like you'll have to get your hands dirty like the rest of us, mutt-face!" Kouga's claws were already dripping with freshly spilled blood as he brought them down again, slashing his victim in half before moving to the next one.

InuYasha put his sword away and cracked his knuckles. "Keh. I can take out way more then you could ever dream of, mangy wolf."

"Oh really? I'll call you on that. The one with the most dead count at the end wins." Kouga stated as his hand smashed through another youkai's chest.

"You're on!" InuYasha yelled, blocking a particularly angry youkai's gnashing teeth from ripping a hole in his side. He grabbed the upper and lower jaws, prying them apart until a snap proved the strong bone was broken, then he tossed it into a pile of carnage quickly forming behind him.

Sesshomaru stood in the same place he had been when the battle first began, just as blank-faced as ever and he lashed out with his poisonous whip, sending youkai after youkai to the ground in a pool of their own blood. All in all, something did not feel quite right to the inu-lord. As the commander of the western lands he had fought many battles such as this, but wasn't this suppose to be a battle of epic proportions? Wasn't this battle to decide the fate of humankind and the youkai's place in it? Surely there was more to it then this poor excuse for a battle. No, Haru had other plans. He may have not of been the most loyal inu in the castle, but he was among the most cunning when it came to matters such as these. Not long after the battle had begun, the waves of youkai slowly started to diminish.

"Two ninety-eight, dog-breath, and barely a scratch on me." Kouga smirked as the onslaught stopped.

"Keh. Three-oh-eight for me. Looks like the best man won." InuYasha stated with a smirk of his own.

"If you two are quite done, this Sesshomaru would like to point out that your bickering has blinded you to the fact that this battle has yet to truly begin." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his half-brother.

"I knew that! I'm ready for Haru whenever he decides to show up himself, instead of sending these weaklings to do his dirty work." InuYasha crossed his arms and huffed. Of course he knew that those bunch of youkai weren't the _real_ battle. They were just toys, just distractions…from…whatever Haru really had in mind… "If…if they came from the west and not the northeast like we thought, then…"

"The castle!" Kouga and InuYasha yelled at the same time. Even Sesshomaru's eyes glinted with a hint of realization.

"But there's no one there to fight him! Why would Haru storm the castle while anyone worth his time is standing right here? Isn't he after Sesshomaru?"

InuYasha growled deep in his throat. "What if Sesshomaru isn't the one he wants?"

"Of course he's after Sesshomaru. He wants the Western Lands, doesn't he?" Sesshomaru cocked his eyebrow.

"I'm not so sure about that anymore. If he was just after Sesshomaru's place, why wait till now when things have calmed down? Why not during the warring years, or when Naraku was around? That would have made better sense; more distractions. Everything was fine for him, until Sesshomaru brought Rin around…" Sesshomaru's eyes glared freely in the distance. "…and I brought Kagome." InuYasha flopped to the ground. "Huh. Then Sesshomaru stripped him of everything he had left of his '_pure_' heritage."

"Are you saying Haru is using the conflict between youkai and humans as some kind of ploy in his vendetta against _you_?!" Kouga tightened his hands into fists.

"I dunno… he seemed to be the kind that relied on his heritage to get what he wanted. It must be what got him his position in the castle, trying to stay close to the higher-ups. That has to be it! Haru doesn't want control of the Western Lands, at least not by force. He still just wants to get rid of the taint. _THAT's _why he had Kita looking for us and why she was sent to the castle…he's after Kagome and the pups, and Rin. With an added bonus of everyone's pups and mates all grouped together."

Sesshomaru let loose a feral growl from deep in his chest and his eyes flicked red. "This Sesshomaru will not be made a mockery of. We leave for the castle. Now."

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Haru and Taru were running at the front of the horde. It was a close call for them. As soon as Haru heard that most of the inhabitance of the castle had survived the first group's attack, he had to revise his first plan. He had rather kill the half-bloods with his own hands anyway. They were expecting to have at least a few more days before Sesshomaru gathered his troops for the east, but no matter. Haru was able to carry out most of his plan. The small legion of lesser-youkai were sent to the front, allowing he and the others to safely escape around the encampment to the west. But Haru and Taru both knew that the lesser-youkai would not last long, and the inu lord would soon figure out his true plan. After that, it was merely a race against time.

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Makoto's ears swiveled around to where Kita sat with the pups, Sango's girls, Keiji and the little tiger-hanyou named Tao. For the moment she had a smile on her face as she played with the kids. When she awoke the night before, the two had a long talk. At first there were tears, and a lot of yelling, but eventually things settled. Kagome would get Toutousai to make a charm to bind Kita's youkai as soon as she was able. Makoto was against it, but after seeing Kita's eyes light up at the notion he couldn't say no. The problem with her tribe had yet to be decided.

"Makoto!" Shippou ran up, Kigai coming up from behind and reaching the hanyou first. Makoto's blood went cold and Kita looked up from the kids. "Gotta get everyone up and moving out of here, now!"

"There's no time for that!" Kigai yelled back. "They're already sniffing around at the castle. The rest of my men are trying to through them off track but that still won't give us much time."

"Shippou, how bad?"

Shippou's look was grave. "Full forces."

"What… but Oyaji, and Oji! They were supposed to take care of the forces."

"I smelled Haru with them. Either they slipped by Oyaji and the others, or…" Shippou let the end of his sentence hang.

Makoto took in the information and nodded. "Tell Okaa to get everyone out. Anyone who can still fight should take up the front line. Kita," he turned to the she-wolf, "you help Okaa. Get Sango, Miroku, and Kilala to go, too." Kita nodded and took off. Kigai, Shippou, Makoto, Yukio, and Kigai's men were the best fit for battle and gathered the few others that were able or willing.

"This isn't going to work, Makoto. Most of these men are too old for battle." Kigai whispered in his ear.

"We have no choice now." He stood still as stone. "Haru is already here." On the edge of the clearing where they had come from the castle lined several youkai. Two inu where in front, both with burnt scars on their foreheads: Haru and Taru. Yukio growled from Makoto's side and slid his foot into a battling position. Makoto noticed his fist was tightly clinched around a baby-blue cloth, no doubt a good-luck token from Rin before she had set out with Kagome and the others. Shippou had a fierce look about him. With Tani nearby and heavy with kit, there was no doubt he would be fighting twice as hard as anybody. Kigai and his wolves had already locked their eyes on potential targets, just as they should being the great hunters they were.

Just as the other battles, this one started with one slight movement from either side, and it was on. Makoto quickly lost sight of Haru as his minions flooded into the clearing from behind him. The baka wasn't even going to fight unless he had to. Makoto clashed with the youkai around him. A bear swiped at him with its massive claws while another inu jabbed at his back with a sword. Makoto got hold of the bear by shoving his claws in the bear's abdomen and slung it around in time to catch the inu's sword in the carcass. The now disarmed inu switched to using his claws and almost succeeded in carving Makoto's eye from its socket before Makoto broke his arm in half with a snap and tossed the inu aside in his search for Haru.

Further down the clearing Shippou was having a hard time keeping one of the enemy's tiger-youkai from clawing him to death. The beast was frenzied and striking madly at the kitsune leaving deep, angry gashes up and down Shippou's chest and arms. "Fox-fire!" Shippou yelled with one hand next to the tiger's face. The blue flame swirled from his palm and the tiger hissed and stumbled back at the burning of his flesh. A sharp pain shot through Shippou's leg and he reached down to dislodge a spiked tentacle from around his calf. The spikes cut through his palms and made it almost unbearable to get the thing off his leg, but his fox-fire deemed useful once again and he burned the tentacle from his leg. No time to waste, Shippou sprang back into the battle, throwing fox-fire after fox-fire at the surrounding youkai.

Kigai had one inu-youkai in a head-lock and twisted it around until the neck snapped. The limp body fell to the ground and another inu took his place in the fight. Kigai's brethren made a line to either side of him and had their own battles to face. He was struck a hard blow from the massive-sized inu and doubled over for a second. In that second the inu brought his clasped fists down on Kigai's back and sent the wolf-youkai to the ground. He rolled out of the way just in time to keep himself from getting a face full of foot and brought his leg around to leg-sweep the inu. The inu hopped backward to avoid the attack, giving Kigai enough time to get back to his feet and lunge forward. His claws struck the inu's stomach, sending the youkai sprawling to the ground.

Yukio raged on, always trying to keep one eye out for his father and brother. But, obviously, they took off as soon as the battle had started. The battle hurt him the most. Not only was it the fault of his father and brother, but he was also forced to fight against his kin and other inu-youkai he had grown up with in the castle. Yukio was shamed by his family. Lord Sesshomaru had never done anything that wasn't for the good of the entire Western lands. If not for the inu-lord, Yukio's love wouldn't have made it past childhood. That alone spiked Yukio's loyalty to Sesshomaru enough for him to throw down his life if his lord only asked it of him.

For every youkai that was slain, three more appeared in the clearing to take its place. Makoto could see that their forces were dwindling, and even though he and the others would fight forever to keep the others safe, some were bound to get through. With no other choice he reached for the hilt of his sword. "Youkai."

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InuYasha and the others moved out as quickly as possible and it didn't take long to find the scents of Haru and his army of youkai. Making it back to the Western lands in record time, leaving most of the humans behind, it took seconds for InuYasha to catch the scent of Kagome and his pups. He and the others skid to a stop. The trails went separate ways. To one side was Haru's scent, Makoto, Shippou, Kigai: the other side Kagome, the pups, Miroku, Sango and countless others. InuYasha growled.

"We will make sure the others are not harmed, first. Then we will take care of Haru." Sesshomaru spoke up, sensing InuYasha's internal conflict. He merely nodded and took off down the path where Kagome's scent was the strongest. He didn't care if the others were following behind him at this point or not. Her scent was already filling his senses and he realized just how much he needed to make sure she was alright.

"Kagome? Kagome!" He ran up the back of the group and pushed past several youkai, hanyou and humans. Then he saw her. "Kagome." He said in relief.

At the sound of her name she turned, her raven hair twirling around her shoulder. When her brown eyes found his gold she smiled and her entire face lit up. "InuYasha!" tears rimmed her eyes as she handed Gina to Rin and made a mad dash for her hanyou. InuYasha stretched out his arms and she ran to him with full force. The impact sent him spiraling backwards and sprawled on the ground with Kagome on his chest. She quickly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face in his haori. InuYasha wrapped his arms around her and hugged just as fierce as she did. Although she felt like she could stay like that forever, Kagome forced herself to sit up.

"InuYasha, Makoto and the others are fighting Haru. Not long after you left, the castle was destroyed and just now they attacked again."

"I'll take care of it. Is everyone here alright?"

"Nothing too serious. We're all okay, just go and help Makoto."

"Right." He pulled her close once more and kissed her forehead. "Stay safe, Kagome. Keep moving away from here and I'll find you when it's all over."

They stood and parted. Several other youkai and hanyou were also stepping away from their mates and pups, others looked a cross between a deep depression and hate. Not everyone had survived. InuYasha gulped and took one last look to Kagome who had already picked up both pups who were reaching out to him. He turned away where Sesshomaru, Kouga, and Ayame were already waiting.

"Those of you who have lost mates or pups and wish may stay behind. All others shall join now." Sesshomaru turned his back and sped off in the opposite direction. A few youkai stayed on their knees, tucking their heads in their hands trying to muffle cries and whimpers. Most stood with eyes burning red and fierce looks on their faces. Those were the ones no one would stand close to during the battle. InuYasha ran off after his half-brother down the path that led to Haru. The closer they got, the more blood he could smell. Further away he could smell something burned: the remains of the castle. The trees quickly gave way to another clearing. The ground was already littered with bodies and blood, and further down the battle was still going on.

InuYasha pinpointed an area where youkai seemed to be gathering in a group attempt in the fight. That's where he headed, still keeping his senses alert to Haru's scent. A few of the youkai noticed the newcomers and turned to attack. InuYasha wasted no time taking care of his attackers with his own claws until he could see the center of where the youkai had grouped together. "Makoto!" His son was the cause of the commotion, a full-youkai version anyway. Makoto turned his head to the sound of his voice and, spotting him, gave a toothy grin. InuYasha slashed and shouldered his way through till he stood back to back with Makoto, surrounded by youkai.

"Glad you could make it, Oyaji."

"Keh. Why are you transformed?!" he yelled over the growls and screams as he slammed his fist into the face of a youkai.

"Long story. You know, you should be more careful who you give a fang to. That toutou guy is either really good at what he does or he's just running on dumb luck." He took the time to knock out a youkai trying to take a nip at his arm.

"Trust me, it's dumb luck. You're lucky not to be a dog or something the way that old man's mind goes." InuYasha turned and smirked, then got serious again. "Have you spotted Haru?"

"Nah. He showed up for the first seconds of the battle and disappeared again." Makoto reared back his fist in anger and punched a rampaging youkai in the gut. InuYasha almost felt sorry for the youkai as it's backbone snapped in two from the impact and slammed into the youkai behind it. Many of the youkai backed off, a few brave souls stepped forward to take their place. The two grew silent as they each fought their own battles. Waves of youkai kept flocking in, even with Sesshomaru and the others finally fighting with them. Makoto's youkai strength was holding out well, but the rest of his group had been fading for quite a while now. He was about to yell for them to retreat and follow the others but the fighting completely stopped and the entire clearing grew quiet.

**A/N: **

**Oooo… cliffie. Not much of a battle to start, the next one is the real battle. And, yay! Everyone is finally back together, and not three or four separate groups that keep running away from me…**

**Shameless insert here, if you like vampires and romance, or vampire romances, you have to check out Stephenie Meyers' "Twilight" series. The BEST. Go read it now. **

**Very few chappies left now. :\ **


	35. Final Battle Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

**Chapter 35: Final Battle Part 2**

Everything in the clearing seemed to be put on hold, then Haru's youkai pulled back and circled the clearing. Makoto and InuYasha gave off twin growls. Sesshomaru, Yukio, Shippou, Kouga, Kigai, and Ayame joined them in the center, each taking careful glances at the youkai should they decide to attack without warning. As expected, one spot in the crowd cleared enough for two figures to walk through: Haru and Taru. Yukio stepped forward with a menacing growl of his own, only to be stopped by Sesshomaru's hand on his shoulder. Yukio backed down.

"It all comes down to this, Sesshomaru." Haru stated, ignoring his other son. "This battle may very well be the biggest of both our times, and we the perpetuators." He scowled. "But the difference between us two is while I go down as a man conserving a true and strong blood line, you, the great lord of the Western lands, will go down as a man who think it better to conserve and cultivate, **within his own household**, a species of lesser beings. Pathetic human beings."

"It is this Sesshomaru's own business who he sees fit to have strong or true enough blood for this line. You, Haru, were not worthy of that place."

Haru growled and fingered the scar on his forehead. "You will not get away with what you have done!" Suddenly, he smirked. "Not strong or true enough blood, am I? I'll show you true. Those…those _half-breeds_ will never have the kind of strength that runs freely through my veins! And," he raised his fist, "they will never be able to reach the **true** form of the inu clan."

InuYasha could see the changes almost immediately. Haru started to grow taller and wider. His silver hair started to spread until it completely covered his body. His pointed ears grew fur and slid to the top of his head, mimicking those of InuYasha himself. Haru's nose shifted just above his lips before his jaws protruded from his face and fangs grew over his bottom lip, his eyes turning red and shifting closer together. There was a crunching noise as his backbone shifted and Haru fell forward to his hands and knees. His fingers and toes were sucked into his hands and feet, being replaced by pads and long claws. As his bones finished shifting into their new locations, a tail shot out from his backside and the transformation was complete.

The true-formed Haru stood before them with his legion of followers gathering not far behind him. All were red-eyed and beginning to change into their full forms. InuYasha glanced to his brother. He and his loyal followers had started to change, too.

"Dang, guess that means we'll have to change, too." Kouga said with a sigh. "I'll tell ya one thing, if I never revert to that form again it would be too soon. The extra power and all is great, but with the bone shifting and crunching…augh!" he shivered. InuYasha and Makoto watched as Kouga, Ayame, and Kigai changed into their forms. It was much like watching Haru, except Kouga, unlike Haru, looked almost sick when his backbone popped out of place and shifted him to all fours. InuYasha would have laughed if he weren't so caught up in the sight before him. Silver dogs, multi-colored wolves, a giant red fox, nasty looking tigers, all hundreds of times bigger then they should have been.

Soon he, Makoto, and the other hanyou were the only ones not changed in some form. _This is not good._ He thought to himself. Sure, he had fought Sesshomaru in this form before and won. But that was a long time ago, and Sesshomaru was caught off-guard at how strong his half-breed brother really was. He glanced back down the path. Somewhere out there was his friends, his brother's family, his mate, and his pups. He gripped Tetsusaiga tight in his hand. He couldn't afford to fail, not while he was defending his family he worked so hard to protect so far. He growled and turned to the battle.

The battlefield was polluted with the sounds of growling and snarling from the various beasts. The transformed Sesshomaru and Haru were standing nearly nose-to-nose, both poised to leap into action at any given moment. Haru flicked his ears, taunting the inu lord. Moments passed as both inu growled out their threats until Haru finally gave in and leaped forward. Sesshomaru was fast enough to keep Haru's fangs away from his neck, but growled ferociously when they met his left shoulder. This growl acted as a signal to all others that the battle had finally begun.

The various formed youkai attacked, the battlefield quickly being covered with blood. InuYasha eyed by one of the larger inu, blood already dripping from his fangs. "What are you lookin at?" he asked with a cocky smirk as the inu eyed him back. The inu flashed his fangs in a snarl. It raced forward, threatening to meet InuYasha head-on, but swerved at the last moment to come across his right side. InuYasha's fire-rat haori was caught in the inu's jaws and he was slung from side to side like a chew-toy. The cloth ripped and sent InuYasha crashing to the ground, the inu skidding to a stop, turning back around, and dashing after him once more.

InuYasha ducked as fangs bore down on him, grabbing a handful of silver fur and hoisting himself on the neck of the enraged inu. The inu bucked, and gnarled, and clawed; unable to reach his unwanted hanyou passenger. InuYasha held on with one hand and raised Tetsusaiga with the other. He plunged the sword down hard where the inu's head met the neck, the beast stumbling forward and falling to the ground. InuYasha wiped the sweat falling in his eyes and looked around. Many of the youkai, good as well as bad, had already fallen. Sesshomaru had another inu by the neck, cracking it in two with his powerful jaws. Yukio was gnawing on the hind leg of a large panther-youkai, its front leg tucked under its chest and obviously useless for the rest of the battle. The battle, in which, raged on at full force all around him.

Yukio ripped through the flesh on the panther's hind leg. The cat turned around hissing and slashed Yukio's muzzle with its razor claws. Yukio in turn grabbed hold of the panther by the scruff of its neck between his jaws. The youkai instinctively fell to its back and raised its three good paws in the air and struck madly. Yukio yelped and jumped back, pawing at his injured eye. He regained focus and snarled. The panther-youkai hissed and arched its back, poised to strike quickly. Yukio used the panther's injured state as leverage, attacking it from the right side where the youkai would have to turn around fully to swipe at him with its good front paw. The panther was too slow at striking and Yukio was able to get his fangs under the panther's neck before it had to chance to act. He felt fresh blood seeping from his mouth and he ripped open the panther's throat and tossed it aside.

His red eyes scanned for who he was really after. The one who would die by Yukio's own claws and fangs. He stuck his nose in the air and sniffed to catch a scent. It was hard; tons of smells flooded his senses. Of course there was a lot of blood, and there was thousands of different scents for him to distinguish from. Finally he caught the scent and raced toward it. Many of the youkai nipped or slapped at him as he flew by, but now that he had the scent nothing was going to get in Yukio's way. Yukio increased his speed; his padded feet barely touched the ground before being hoisted back it the air. He found his target watching the battle, sitting on his haunches, ears alert. Taru.

Shippou felt queasy on his stomach and a bit uneasy on his own feet. It was the first time he had ever transformed into his full form, and so far he wasn't to fond of it. He felt huge; thick red fur covering his sleek fox-body, with a long bushy tail following behind him. It did have advantages; he'd admit that much. The inu and wolves had the brute strength; Shippou had the _speed_ and the _agility_. He slinked through the crowd as low to the ground as he could manage. He found his prey. A transformed hawk-youkai was bomb-diving an inu Shippou knew was on his side. The huge bird raked its long talons down the back of the inu, a clump of fur and flesh still in its grasp as it flapped its massive wings to gain back its altitude.

Shippou slinked to the inu's side, his fluffy tail twitching in anticipation, as the hawk-youkai circled the fallen inu looking for a nice moment to strike again. It twitched its tail-feathers, tilted its wings, and stretched out its talons. Shippou watched the hawk dive toward the inu at its full speed. But Shippou was faster. As the hawk was just about to close its talons around the inu's fur, Shippou leapt over the inu in a flash of red-brown fur, closing his jaws around a wing. The stunned bird flapped its free wing madly in an attempt to free itself. Shippou crunched down on the wing before ripping it completely from the body of the youkai. He curiously watched as it still flapped its one wing on the ground, trying to get away. It succeeded in hopping a few feet on its talons before the inu it had attacked raised its paw and crunched its head into the ground.

Makoto shoved Touken down on the head of a snake-youkai, pulling the blade down the length of the serpent and splitting it into two halves. He growled and went straight after another youkai that so happened to cross his path. He made quick work of a bear-youkai and a spider-youkai before he growled in frustration of his own thoughts. He was proud of his heritage. Being a hanyou. He loved both his sides, or at least had came to a better understanding of why he was what he was. Haru's little speech about all hanyou having 'weak' blood had just ticked him off. In his youkai form, it was hard for Makoto to keep his anger in check and keep himself from going on another rampage. He kept Touken in his hand just in case bad went to worse.

Makoto had a death-grip on the sword by the time his tenth victim fell. His youkai really, really didn't like being called weak. Haru's words echoed in his head over and over; Makoto releasing a ferocious growl, "_they will never be able to reach the __**true**__ form of the inu clan." _He stopped. The true form. Sure, he could just as well kill every youkai there in the angered form he was in now, but the principle of the matter… was it possible? Could _he_ transform into the true form of the inu clan? Yes…he would try. His youkai seemed to get excided by the idea of proving Haru wrong. Now, how to go about it?

At first Makoto concentrated on Touken, but the sword proved useless to get him to transform into his true state. He was just about ready to stop the first inu that passed and ask them how to transform when a silent whisper in the back of his head gave him an idea. Dormant instincts trying to groggily wake up from all time without use, probably. He closed his eyes and started to focus. He pictured the big, silver furred dogs in his mind. The long fangs and massive paws, swishy tails, long narrow muzzle. He imagined _becoming_ one. Then the change began. He could feel it immediately. He felt fur growing all over his body, sprouting from his arms, legs, torso; he twitched his nose when the fur growing around his face tickled. He felt his fingers shorten and cringed. It didn't exactly hurt, but it wasn't the best feeling in the world either. The only thing Makoto could think of to describe the feeling was it was like Kagome had used numbing herbs on wounds or when she had to pop bones back into place. You couldn't actually _feel_ the pain, but you just knew that there _should_ be pain to it.

The same was true when his bones started to rearrange themselves. His ribs tightened together, moving his organs in the process. His legs and arms proportioned themselves and his backbone grew out his backside forming the tail. The he felt a sickening 'pop' in his back and was forced forward on all fours. His stomach lurched. He wasn't sure if it was because it was settling into place or if the transformation was getting the best of him and he was about to puke. Either way, he didn't like the feeling. The last of the transformation completed; his muzzle stretching out and his fangs growing to full size. Makoto slung his tongue out of the side of his mouth and panted. _That_ was an experience he wasn't likely to forget anytime soon, but he marveled at the newfound power and senses. Yes, he would say that the transformation was well worth the uncomfortable feelings. He felt a hundred feet tall and invincible.

InuYasha had just spotted Makoto as he had started to change. Now InuYasha stood, mouth agape, at his son. Towering taller then most of the other inu, there was one major way to know that it was still Makoto, and that was the fact that his silver coat of fur was marred by two long, black stripes going from the tip of his ears to the tip of his tail. "Keh." InuYasha crossed his arms and gazed accusingly. "I don't need to transform to take care of these weaklings." Haru had all but disappeared from the fight as soon as it had started. InuYasha tried following the scent, but every time he caught a whiff of Haru another youkai was nipping at his heels. A bear-youkai stood in front of him on its hind legs and roared, swiping its huge paws at InuYasha's head. He felt the paw barely graze over his ears and rolled on the ground and into a crouch, shoving off with his back foot and leapt straight at the bear. He drew Tetsusaiga and ripped through the bear's rough hide. The bear's paw swiped again and InuYasha was sent flying through the air and landed hard, knocking the breath out of him with the impact.

The bear dropped to all fours and barreled forward. InuYasha stood staggering and barely moved out of the way in time to keep from getting trampled, but he couldn't avoid the bear's next swipe. The claw hit him from the side and sent him smashing into a shocked centipede-youkai who turned to skink her teeth into InuYasha, but it never came. Instead, InuYasha heard a shrill screech as the centipede was being tossed side to side in the rough jaws of the transformed Makoto. Blood oozed from the side of his mouth as his bit down harder, the youkai's outer shell cracking and crunching under the pressure until it fell from Makoto's jaws in two separate pieces.

By then the bear-youkai had turned back around, this time charging Makoto. Makoto braced his paws against the ground and lowered his head with a snarl. The bear rushed him, tossing his shoulder into Makoto's side. Makoto slid sideways from the impact, but raised his front paws to the back of the bear and used his fangs to grab a mouthful of fur on the back of its neck. The bear rose on its hind legs and roared, trying to turn around to get to Makoto. Makoto held on, twisting his jaws around the bear's flesh and dragging it back to the ground. He kept his grip as the bear stumbled to its feet. Makoto jerked to the side, firmly planting his feet to the ground and ripping at the youkai. The bear-youkia's thick fur prevented Makoto from completely ripping off the flesh.

Shippou rushed up from behind, taking a massive paw into his jaws and tugging. The bear roared and swiped with the other paw, but Shippou was too fast and leapt out of the way. Makoto maneuvered under the bear with that distraction and grabbed hold of its throat. Shippou ran around the front, taking nips at the bear from time to time to keep it distracted. Eventually Makoto was able to rip a chunk from the bear, but it caught him in the side with its claw in return. Makoto winced as the impact cracked ribs. Shippou was still prancing around in front of the youkai, taking nips then jumping back when the bear would strike. Makoto snarled through the pain as he got back on all fours and charged forward. He shoved his shoulder into the bear's side and knocked him down on his side.

InuYasha had been standing by watching in amazement until he heard the crunching of Makoto's ribs. When Makoto sent the bear to the ground again, InuYasha woke from his stupor and jumped on the bear, shoving Tetsusaiga into its flesh and pulling it down its length. Blood poured from the wound, and the bear lay still. InuYasha looked at Makoto. "Keh. Show-off."

**A/N: **

**Sept. 13…. Happy (late) birthday Bella Swan! (Hopefully Bella Swan-Cullen soon ;-D Yay!) **

**Anyway, I've had this chapter half-way written since I first started the sequel, and I am VERY happy to finally get it out there. Only a few more chappies left! **


	36. Final Battle Part III

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

**Chapter 36: Final Battle Part 3**

**AN: ** This is a youkai speaking in true-form. 

Kagome balanced Gina on her hip and stood back, waiting for the others to pass by and checking on the ones in the back. She gave them all encouraging smiles and checked their wounds as they walked. Though they had walked far, the growls and snarls of the battle could still be heard loud and clear. InuYasha had instructed her to keep going until he came for them, but she didn't know how much longer most of them would last. It had been long and hard for the past few days. She sighed and shook her head. If they had to stop and rest they would.

Rin and Tani were two of the last ones following along in the group. Rin had one arm wrapped around Tani's waist and the other around her shoulders, helping her to keep up with the others. Kagome's brow creased as she saw the girl cringe with each step. She approached Rin and handed Gina over, taking Rin's place.

"How are you holding up, Tani?"

"I'm… not sure, Kagome-sama. I'm not feeling so well." She grimaced.

Kagome took another look around. Most of the ones near looked almost ready to pass out, and if Tani didn't rest soon it could harm her unborn kit. Kagome had her own thoughts about that; the kit could come at anytime, and with the luck they have had lately she was almost certain most of the pains Tani was feeling was the beginnings of labor.

"We'll stop soon, I promise. As soon as we can find a place a little more secluded."

"Thank you."

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Yukio snarled and leaped at his brother from the side. The inu-youkai saw it coming and dodged the initial attack landing a few yards away. Taru growled and circled Yukio.

Give it up Taru. There's no way I'm letting you live after what you tried to do with Rin! Yukio rushed forward, predicting his brother's movements and slamming into his side. He jerked his body around and sunk his fangs into Taru's neck. He bit down hard, drawing a mouthful of blood and fur. Taru used his larger body mass to throw Yukio off his paws and towered over him. Yukio refused to relent his grip until Taru's claws scrapped long gashes in his chest. He yelped and rolled out from under the inu, getting back to his feet.

I had every right to rid the castle of her! Father and I tolerated her when Sesshomaru kept her around as a pet, but when you and he started treating her as an equal, when you **courted** her, then it became intolerable. 

What right do you have?! Lord Sesshomaru agreed to our union, that should have been more then enough. 

Its about honor, little brother, something Sesshomaru apparently lacks. 

Lord Sesshomaru has more honor then you or father ever had. Yukio growled. Attacking a female human in the cover of darkness? Is that what you call honorable?! 

I'm tired of your ignorance. Father should have had you killed the moment you were born to save us all from your disgrace. He raced forward to plow into Yukio. Yukio didn't even try to dodge, taking the full impact then raising back to his paws. The games were over. There would be no more beating around the bush, both inu were on the offence. Yukio was more than willing to repay Taru with a slam to his ribcage. The larger inu was quicker to regain his balance and sank his fangs into the back of Yukio's neck, paws on his back trying to jerk him to the ground. Yukio twisted away, allowing Taru's fangs to rip holes in his flesh, and shoved the inu away. Taru flew through the air, landing on his shoulder with a yip a few yards away from his brother.

When he stood, it was slower this time. Yukio's ears trained in on a popping noise, Taru's shoulder wouldn't stay in place. Now Yukio had the advantage. Taru tactically positioned his injured shoulder away from Yukio. Yukio didn't care. His gaze was fixed on that leg. He moved slowly this time. Taru shifted his position whenever Yukio got in striking distance of his shoulder.

Yukio and Taru reared up on their hind legs, snapping at each others throats. To bystanders they were nothing but a tangled mass of teeth and fur. Yukio's rage evened the odds against Taru's size, both giving and receiving hard blows. To the inus, nothing outside of their fight even existed. Their surroundings muddled into a big blur as they ducked, snapped, bit, clawed, charged, and stood back to their paws after being knocked down. It wasn't long before Yukio got the upper hand and ripped a chunk of flesh from his brother's shoulder. Taru howled in pain and stumbled to the ground. He was out. There was no way Taru could win with a handicap that severe. Yukio paced back and forth, gazing in his brother's eyes before leaping for the kill.

"Come on, Tani. Hold on." Kagome franticly wiped the sweat from the girl's forehead with a damp cloth and tried to sooth her the best she could. Rin lifted a pot from above the fire and pored hot water into a basin beside Kagome. Kagome rolled up her sleeves and plunged her hands into the water with a grimace.

"Ough…" Rin groaned, "Is there anything this Rin can do, Kagome-sama?"

"She's barely even dilated." Kagome mused after checking Tani. She sighed and turned to Rin. "Apparently it's going to be a while before the kit is born. I'm going to stay here with Tani. Just please help Kita look after Mehiji, Gina, and the others." Rin nodded. Kagome sat beside Tani, propping the girl's head in her lap and soothing back her hair. "You feeling okay? Want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." She breathed in deep through her nose and let it out through her mouth. "Kagome-sama, I need Shippou here. He can't miss this. It's the birth of our first child." Her eyes started to water. "The kit is getting ready to come and I don't even know if Shippou is coming back to me. What would I do? There's no way I could take care of a child on my own. What if Shippou never comes back?"

"Shhh…Tani, you can't think about that right now. I know it's hard while your mate is away, but you just have to have faith that he'll always return. Besides, worrying isn't good for the kit right now."

"I know, Kagome-sama." She sighed and closed her eyes.

Sesshomaru quietly stalked around the battlefield, searching for Haru, three of his most loyal followers behind him. He had caught a trail on the outskirts of the field and stayed on the tracks. He sniffed the ground. The scent was leading into the forest, following the scent of Kagome and the others. Sesshomaru snarled, as did his three followers. They raced off into the forest.

Kita gave a small smile to the pups sleeping under a shade tree. Mehiji lay with his arms under his chin, knees tucked under his stomach, and his hind end stuck out into the air. Beside him was Tao, the little tiger-hanyou, with his arms and legs sprawled out in all directions. The two were defiantly getting along, and getting into trouble with each other. Kita's eyes shifted. Hana, Cho, and Yumi lay piled up next to each other; nearly laying on top of the other. Each girl was holding the hand or shoulder of another. It had to be hard for them with both of their parents away.

Lastly, Kita glanced over to Gina. The little pup was sitting by the tree trunk, her ears flat on the side of her head, hands on her knees as her silver eyes concentrated on something far in the distance. She had to be the most confusing out of the bunch. A hanyou… and a miko. Two things that should by all nature never exist together. But, here she was. A living proof of how impossibilities just do not exist. Kita walked over and sat down next to the girl. The only sign she showed was a quick flick of her ear in Kita's direction.

"What's wrong, little one?" Kita asked in a soft voice, one that she didn't even recognize as her own.

"'Koto." The girl replied with a sigh. She seemed to lose interest in whatever she had been staring at and looked to the ground instead.

"Your brother is fine. He'll be back before you know it."

Gina closed her eyes and shook her head. "Change. Like once nighttime. No 'Koto."

Kita's eyebrows creased as she tried to translate the gibberish. "Change one night? You mean the night of the new moon? When we turn human?" she spoke in a whisper. Gina only nodded. "Makoto will always turn back, and so will you. Is that what has you so worried?"

Gina fiercely shook her head. "No 'Koto. Stay. Sick." Her voice was small.

Kita sighed and gave up. She just couldn't figure out what the girl was so worried about.

"Kita?" Rin questioned from behind. "Kagome needs more water. The camp is running low. Can you see if you can find something around here? This Rin will watch the children."

"Okay." Kita stood and dusted off her kimono, reaching out for the bamboo jugs to carry the water in, lugging them through the trees. She sniffed the air until her nose picked up a hint of fresh water nearby and she steered in that direction. She found a little brook close to the camp, but the water was barely flowing, not enough to gather it in the jugs, so she kept looking A few yards out she finally found a stream and dunked the jugs. She was filling the last jug when her extraordinary sense of smell caught a whiff of something familiar on the light breeze. She put the jugs down on the bank and stuck her nose in the air to get a better scent.

"Haru…" her voice didn't even have a hint of emotion.

He didn't know what was happening. He felt all his strength suddenly being zapped from his body. Every bruise, every cut, every broken bone started screaming to get his attention. Everything started to become blurry with the onset of all the pain his injuries subjected him to. His front legs gave out on him first, he slipped down and his shoulder hit the hard ground, adding more pain. His muzzle landed in the dirt, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Makoto!" InuYasha yelled, running to catch a youkai before it got to his fallen son.

"What happened, Oyaji?" Shippou slid in beside InuYasha and shrugged his head in Makoto's direction.

"No idea. He passed out." InuYasha growled as another youkai fell to Tetsusaiga. He looked back over his shoulder. Makoto was shrinking now, his fur being sucked back into his body, back crackling into place, until there was no trace of his youkai heritage. A human Makoto laid on his back in an awkward position, covered in blood.

"Oyaji…" Shippou turned with worried eyes. InuYasha cursed under his breath, his ears slightly flattening to the sides of his head. He surveyed the battlefield. It was nearly over. The remaining group of Haru's men were either running away or being chased into the trees.

"Help with the clean-up. I'll get him out of here."

Kita was back at the campsite, she dropped the jugs of water and Kagome's feet with a wild look in her eyes. "Kagome-sama, we have to move."

"What's the matter?"

"Haru's on his way here. Get everybody out."

Kagome shook her head. "I can't move Tani, the kit is too far along."

Kita flinched. She had almost forgotten about that detail. _There's not that much time. Haru caught our scent. _Kita thought to herself. _There's only one way. The pack. But…will they answer? _"I'll take care of it, Kagome-sama."

"I'll do what I can here."

Kita took off, running through the forest to cut off Haru from the campsite. When she deemed herself a safe distance, she threw back her head and let out a loud howl that echoed through the trees. Her ears perked. She let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding as the return howl sounded a few seconds later. It wasn't long before there was a rustling coming through the brush and three wolf-youkai stepped out with their heads bowed. Two males, one female, all three around the same age as Kita.

"My Lady," the biggest of the males spoke, "we've answered The Call, and are here to serve you in any way that we can."

Kita blushed. "No need for formalities. Is…this all?"

"Lady Kita, we are the only ones that remain loyal to your father. We remember him and your mother from our childhood, and we still value the words they spoke to us." The female spoke up.

Kita nodded. "Thank you. Thank you all. Haru and a few of his men are on their way here. There's a pregnant female in the camp, and there's no way she can be moved now. We have to keep them from entering as long as we can.

"Right. We'll do whatever we can."

Haru broke through the clearing. The larger male wolf-youkai was the first to charge. He transformed as he ran to meet Haru head on. The other two were on his flanks, charging the youkai to Haru's side. Kita could barely keep up with their movements. She watched the fight in horror. She sent those three to fight, if something happened to them…

There was a new growling that entered the fray. Sesshomaru and his men entered the battlefield with snarls. The wolves instantly bowed their heads and backed away as Sesshomaru took charge. His followers made quick work of Haru's men, then all stopped. Sesshomaru's men came to sit slightly back and to his side, Kita took a deep breath and took her place on his right flank, her three followers sat behind the others.

Haru. This Sesshomaru has tired of your insolence. You are to be executed for treason immediately. 

Wolf and inu alike surrounded Haru. He bent low and snarled a warning, but there would be no escape for him this time. Sesshomaru and Kita turned their backs, Sesshomaru transforming back to his humanoid state, and they started to walk away as the others attacked.

**A/N: **

**Battle is over so for all of you who didn't like the battle scenes, read the next chapter. **


	37. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

**Chapter 37: Aftermath**

The battle was over. Kouga and his men, along with Kita's pack and a few of Sesshomaru's followers, were given the task to take care of the youkai that escaped the battlefield. InuYasha, with Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Yukio at his heals and Makoto draped over his shoulder, and the rest of the troop following not far behind, made his way through the forest following Kagome's scent. He hated to move Makoto with all the wounds, but he couldn't leave him on the battlefield either. He had to get his son to the healing hands of Kagome as soon as possible.

"They're just ahead!" Shippou yelled. InuYasha nodded over his shoulder and slightly slowed his pace as he spotted the raised tents of the camp. It didn't take long for him to find Kagome sitting next to Tani in one of he tents.

"Kagome!" InuYasha shouted as he carefully lifted Makoto's limp form off his shoulder and lowered him gently to the ground.

"Inu… Oh! Makoto!" Kagome rushed to he son's side, just as Kita burst forward with a wild look on her face.

"Makoto!" she fell by his side, running her hands just above his body as she accessed his human state and his wounds. He was breathing, his chest rising and falling with each small breath. Shippou arrived a short time after Kita, making his way through the tent to Tani's side.

"Tani?" he questioned.

"I'm alright." She sighed and leaned onto his shoulder, "Just glad you're finally here."

Kagome was already reaching in her medical bag for things she would need. She grabbed the water Kita had brought and poured it on a clean cloth and handing it to the she-wolf. "Start cleaning the wounds as best you can. I don't know how long he's going to be human like this, so I have to stitch him up." Kita nodded and started cleaning Makoto's cuts. She cringed every time moaned or sucked in a deep breath. She watched as Kagome threaded a needle and started working.

"InuYasha, we need to let them work." Miroku and Sango had arrived, Sango going straight to Kagome's side to help. InuYasha merely nodded as he followed Miroku out of the tent and into the fresh air. If felt good to be out in the open; in a clearing that wasn't covered in blood.

"Oyajiiiiiiiii!"

"Ouff!" Two objects hit InuYasha's legs and gripped tight. "Hey, pups." He kneeled to their level. "Why don't we go get some more water for Okaasan?"

Back inside Kagome, Sango, and Kita were all three vigorously stitching Makoto's wounds. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but with the blood loss his face had grown very pale. Poking around, Kagome also found multiple broken bones and deep bruising covering his entire body. "What happened to him Shippou?" Kagome asked as she methodically snapped Makoto's shoulder back in place.

"That dang sword of his!" Shippou yelled over his shoulder as he held Tani's hand. "He was full-youkai, then he changed to inu form! He was kickin' tail with the rest of us until he just fell out."

Kagome huffed. "Too much power for him to handle for a long time. Even with these newfound transformations to full youkai, he can't keep overlooking that he **is** a hanyou. There're limitations to how much of this power he can use." Kagome had plenty to muse over while running. Makoto's transformations were one of those, and Kagome had come up with her own theories, he main one being that the more time Makoto spends as full-youkai, the more time Makoto has to stay in human form. If he was in inu form before, there was no telling how long he would be human. With his injuries, Kagome knew they would all be in for the long haul.

"Okaa!" Shippou yelled. Kagome ran over to Tani's other side. A thin sheet of sweat covered the poor girl, who had her eyes closed tight and jaw clenched.

"Shippou," Kagome said after checking Tani, "I think she's just about ready. Sango, I'll need your help over here. Kita can take care of Makoto for now."

"Alright." Sango squeezed Kita's shoulder and gave her a quick, encouraging smile before going to help Kagome.

Kita's eyes were suddenly droopy and she couldn't help but let out a yawn. Everything crashed down on her as soon as Sango had left her side. Haru was gone. Her pack, with the exception of three, was gone. Makoto had returned to her, not in a healthy state, but he returned just the same. She ran her fingers lightly down the length of his arm, feeling the curves of the muscles and lines of his veins. His eyes fluttered open. She ran her hand across his forehead and smiled with watery eyes. "Hey." She said shakily.

"Hey." He replied with a raspy voice. He raised his good arm and used the pad of his thumb to wipe across her cheek. "You okay?"

Kita put her hand over his and leaned into his touch. "I am now." She sighed and closed her eyes. She lay down beside Makoto, nuzzling his shoulder and intertwining her fingers with his.

"Hey, you're awake." InuYasha stepped in with water jugs in his hands. "You gave us a scare for awhile there, pup." Makoto rolled his eyes. "I'll deal with you later." He hoisted the jugs and made his way over to Kagome.

"Thank you, InuYasha," Kagome said taking the water and pouring one jug into a bowl. "You and Shippou have to leave now. The kit is about to be born."

"I'm not leaving. I wanna stay here with Tani." Shippou spoke up.

"Shippou, that's not a good idea. InuYasha, take him outside and keep him with you and Miroku. We'll call you when you can come back in."

"Shippou, just go. Kagome-sama's right. A man shouldn't be in here for this. Go outside and wait." Tani spoke, releasing her hand from his. Shippou's tail drooped but he obediently stood and started walking, that is, until Tani's next contraction hit and she started to scream. Shippou turned around, his momentum nearly sending him to the ground, and he got his first clear view of the birth.

"InuYasha, get him out of here!" Kagome yelled as Shippou's complexion turned a pale green color. She knew what was coming next.

"Is…is that…normal?" The ringing in Shippou's ears echoed in his head. His mouth grew dry as if he had tried to eat cotton. His vision blurred. The room started to tilt slightly, just before the floor came rushing up toward him.

**BANG!**

Kagome shook her head at the crash and gave InuYasha a meaningful gaze. "I told you to get him outside."

"Keh." InuYasha kept his eyes on his adopted son and held his breath as he bent down to pick up Shippou and tossed him over his shoulder.

That distraction out of her way, Kagome turned her attention back to Tani. She was doing fairly well for her first birth, but Kagome could tell the hanyou kit was giving her trouble. It was best not to drag this out any longer then it had to be. Kagome rubbed her hand against the girl's forehead again. "Okay, Tani, you've got to start pushing now." Tani whimpered and shook her head, fear in her eyes. "Shhhh. It's alright. The kit is coming now, and you're going to have to push to help it out." She paused. "You ready now?" Tani took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, then. When the contraction hits I want you to push as hard as you can, okay?" Tani nodded again. "Sango, get up here with Tani, please."

Sango took Kagome's position holding Tani's hand and keeping a cool cloth on her forehead. Kagome kneeled at the edge of the futon with a water basin and a warm blanket for the kit. "Oh." Kagome gasped as she checked Tani. "You're further along then I thought. Now push!"

Just outside, InuYasha held Mehiji in one arm and the restless Gina in the other. The pup was defiantly more sensitive about her surroundings then her brother was. Shippou was lying on the dirt, still passed out from his earlier experience while Miroku obediently posted ofuda outside the tent. This was going to be InuYasha's first grandchild, and Miroku didn't even bother arguing over the quantity of wards.

"Keh." InuYasha shifted Gina to his other arm and grabbed a jug of water, splashing the entire thing on Shippou's head. He jerked up and sputtered through the water dripping from his face. InuYasha smirked.

"How's Tani? Did she have the kit?" Shippou asked while he shook off the water and got to his feet. "How long have I been out?"

"A good twenty minutes would be my guess. Last check Tani was fine and no, there's no kit yet." Miroku replied. "Now, I _know_ I have done as much as I can here, and I would like to see if my services are needed with the injured." He gave InuYasha a meaningful gaze. InuYasha nodded reluctantly.

Ten minutes later Shippou was pacing the grounds and staring at the tent. "I don't know how you did it, Oyaji. All this waiting. Not knowing anything that's going on in there." He growled. "It's just about to kill me!"

"It's worth it, in the end." InuYasha replied, looking down at the pups in his arms. It was hard to believe, that all those years ago, a hanyou looking to become a youkai and a crazy wench from the future would create those little pups. And are waiting for the birth of a grandchild.

Shippou gulped as he heard Tani's last scream, followed by the wailing of his kit. Shippou's face went stark white and he fell backwards and landed on his butt, his eyes staring widely at the tent as the wailing continued. Then there was a splash on his face and he once again found himself sputtering. He glared at InuYasha.

"Get in there."

Shippou stood on wobbly legs and walked slowly toward the tent. Sango popped out with a bright smile. "You're very lucky. Everything went fine. I'm going to help with the others, you can go on in."

He tried to control his breathing. There would be no excuse for passing out before he got a chance to even see his kit. He stepped in, taking in Kita leaning against the sleeping Makoto, and then turning toward Tani. She was flush, her hair damp and clinging to her head and neck from sweat. She was propped up on the futon by several pillows behind her back. In her arms was a blue blanket: a wriggling blue blanket. She had such a smile on her face, Shippou couldn't help but smile, too, as he crouched down by her side. She looked at him as she shifted the kit so Shippou could see.

He couldn't believe it. Green eyes gazed back at him from the blanket. Long ears, red-brown with black tips, flipped this way and that, a patch of red-brown hair on the top of the kit's head. Shippou reached out and picked up the kit. A bushy tail emerged from the blanket along with the kit.

"Hey, little man. Wow. You know how long I've been waiting to see you? Hm?" he smiled and wrapped the kit back in the blanket, placing the kit on Tani's stomach and cuddling up next to her.

Kagome came from behind and placed a kiss on Shippou's cheek. "So what are you going to name him?"

"Takeshi (unbending)." Tani answered. "He looks so much like you, Shippou." Shippou beamed.

"Alright, everyone out. There's more injured to take care of outside and these in here need rest." Kagome said as she rose from the ground. She gave Shippou a quick kiss on the top of his head and followed the others to the exit. She stopped beside Makoto and ran her hand down his face. He grunted and turned his head. Kagome smiled. She looked to Kita who had fallen asleep curled into Makoto's arm.

InuYasha poked his head in. "Come on, wench, you can fuss at him when he wakes up."

Kita blinked once, then twice. The tent had grown dark, a bit of moonlight and firelight coming through. Her head was still a bit foggy from sleep, but she was still coherent enough to know that the ground should not be warm, nor should it be moving up and down. And something was lightly pressing on the mid and small of her back. She felt a shiver travel down her body as his allowed herself to ease into the feeling with a sigh. The arm on her mid back traveled up and down in a slow, comforting pattern before both hands lowered to her hip as Makoto sat up and pulled Kita into his lap. For a moment sheer panic flowed through her as Kita remembered his injuries, but when she turned all fear left and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm alright." The hanyou Makoto whispered. He nuzzled his nose into her neck and took a deep breath.

"I thought I would loose you." Kita whispered back.

"I'm never going to leave you, Kita." He gave a cocky smirk, "I just showed off too much."

Kita elbowed his ribs, making him yelp in surprise, "You baka!" angry tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I was scared to death!"

"Ki.."

"What was I to think when they…"

"Kita…"

"…brought you in here, nearly in PIECES…"

"Kita…"

"…and human?! I thought you were dead! I thought I had lost you forever! You don't understand…You don't know…"

"Kita!" she paused, taking in shallow breaths, as Makoto grabbed her face between his hands, staring into her eyes. "I love you." He slipped his arms down to her shoulders, rubbing smoothly down her arms and sides, planting them firmly on her waist. "And I'm sorry you were scared." He sighed and lowered his head to Kita's neck, growling softly and pressing his lips against her shoulder, very slowly and tenderly making his way up her neck, following the line of her jawbone, and set a feather-light kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Kita worked her arms up and wound them around Makoto's neck, running her fingers through his hair. Makoto kissed her lips. Kita melted into his lap, molding herself into his lap and pressing her lips hard against his. He nipped at Kita's lower lip until they parted, then he deepened the kiss.

"Ahem."

Kita fell out of Makoto's lap in her attempt to swivel around to see who had made the noise as Makoto jumped to his feet. What is saw was the amused expression on Shippou's face and the giggling Tani holding their kit on a futon.

"As much as I am enjoying the show, I'm not sure I wanna see how far this will go." Shippou raised his eyebrow with a smirk. Kita blushed and scrambled to hide her face on Makoto's shoulder as Tani fought back her laughs.

Makoto turned his head away with slightly pink cheeks, "Lecher."

**A/N: **

**Only around 2-3 chappies left, depends on which way I go. :D**


	38. Letting Go

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

**Chapter 38: Letting Go**

Makoto lazily wrapped his arms tighter around Kita's waist as the first bit of sunlight filtered through his eyelids. He reluctantly opened them and yawned. He looked around from his spot on the tree. It had been two weeks since the final battle. Soon they would be the only ones left in the clearing. The last of the injured were now healed enough to travel back to their homes. Even the humans from the surrounding villages had started to return. The weather was nice: warm and sunny, a light breeze. But Makoto could help but sigh in sadness. Ever since that afternoon he had woken and kissed Kita, she had been standoffish to him and the others, and constantly going off on her own.

At first he just thought it was because she was embarrassed at being caught in that kind of intimacy by Shippou and Tani, but as the days passed he shot that idea. She would allow him to hold her, to hug and kiss her, but she was…unresponsive. She wouldn't even talk to the others unless they directly asked her a question, and even then she just gave her answer with no further remarks. Her eyes had become distant, and she was always gazing away as if she were looking for a way to bolt, just like the first time Makoto met her. Like she was trapped in a cage and just waiting for the door to open so she could escape. It scared Makoto. What if she wanted to leave? He wanted so much just to ask Kita what was the matter, but he was also afraid of her answer.

He couldn't fathom what he would do without Kita. He treasured her so much; he would do anything and EVERYthing for her. Makoto's brow creased in an angry frown. Did she have something she hadn't told him about? Something outside of his family and his home? Did he love her more than she loved him? It was so infuriating, not know what was on her mind. He grunted and turned his head away from her as she started to stir.

"Sleep good?" he asked.

"Yeah. You?"

Makoto huffed. "Sure." He jumped down from the tree and placed Kita on her feet. "I'm going to find breakfast. Want something?"

"No, no, thank you. I'm not really hungry." She answered without looking at him.

"Keh!" Makoto stormed off toward the trees, taking a couple of them down with him on the way. He almost felt sorry for whatever animal he smelled first. It was sure to die quickly, though.

After he retrieved enough food for everyone in the clearing for the entire day he returned. Kita sat just as she had for the last two weeks; looking out into the distance with a dull, dead look. He sat down on the opposite side of the campfire and started putting his kill on sticks or tossing it into a stew pot for later. Kita stood to her feet just as Makoto was about to ask if she had changed her mind about the food. She looked toward him.

"I'm going for a walk."

Makoto's ears drooped. "Alright. Fine." He turned to the fire, but turned back as she started to leave, "Are you coming back?" With each second ticking by, Makoto's heart fell deeper into the black pit Kita had given him. She looked back at him, calculating; she had to think about her answer. That meant she really was thinking of leaving. Would she leave now? Just like that?

"Yeah. I'll be back." She finally stated.

Makoto could only nod as he watched Kita leave and he tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. Suddenly he wasn't so hungry anymore. He took the food he had cooked to the tiger-youkai family that was now packing to leave after the father's leg had finally healed enough for him to make the journey. There was little else for him to do now but sit around and wait. Makoto tried to find something to keep him busy. He threw back the flaps of the tent and walked in to find Kagome helping Tani and Shippou pack.

"Good morning, Makoto." She said over her shoulder as she stuffed a blanket into Tani's bag. "Could you help InuYasha get everything packed for Gina and Mehiji? Tani and Takeshi can been moved now, and I think it's best we get them back to the village as soon as we can. InuYasha said he thinks a storm is coming from the mountains."

"I'll get right to it, Okaa." InuYasha and Miroku were busy trying to get things together for the trip back to the village. Sango and the girls were entertaining the pups while Kirara was being loaded with bags.

"'koto!" Gina leapt from Sango's arms and wobbled over to her older brother. She grabbed hold of his leg and started clawing her way up.

Makoto laughed and reached down to pick her up. "Whoa, pup. What you in a rush for?"

"'koto!" she clung to his haori.

"What has gotten into her?" Sango asked.

Makoto shook his head. "No idea. What's wrong with you, Gina?"

"'ita leave, 'koto leave!"

He cringed. "Gina, if she leaves it's her choice. Plus," he looked toward the forest, "she promised she'd come back."

"Kita left?" Sango asked with a curious expression.

"She's been acting strange, Oba. Brushing me off and leaving on her own." He scoffed and turned his head, Gina whined in his arms. "We were fine. I thought everything was finally over and she could live the life she wanted. I thought since Haru was gone, she would settle down and… just live. I thought I could give her the life she deserved."

"Makoto, you can't just decide **for** her. What if she doesn't want the same life you want? I know it sounds harsh, but she may have other plans. Kita is for once in her life completely free, and she might want to find what **she** wants." Sango paused and rubbed Makoto's back. "You may love her, and she may love you, but how can she truly know her own thoughts if someone is always giving her directions?"

Makoto cringed. "I'm being selfish…aren't I?" he asked mostly to himself, then sighed. "Right. So, no matter what she decides, no matter if she stays…" he gulped, "or leaves, I have to support her decision? I have to show her that it's alright for her to take charge of her own life, even if that means I'm not part of it." His voice faltered at the end.

Sango continued to rub his back and nodded. "Sometimes… fate deals a lose/lose situation, and you either hurt someone, or hurt yourself."

"Yeah…" he nodded, "yeah, I got that much." Makoto cursed under his breath. He kept his voice angry to hide the pain and fear he felt. "So I just let her walk away."

"I can't answer for you, or Kita, for that matter." Sango gave Makoto one more comforting pat on the back and turned away, leaving Makoto holding Gina.

"'ita goooooo…" she whined, ears drawn back.

Makoto pushed back his own emotions and smirked down at the pup. "I'm here. Okaa's here, Otou, Shippou, Oba, Oji, Mehiji, we're all here."

"'ita! 'koto!" Makoto turned Gina in his arms so she would be facing him. She continued to cry out, but her silver eyes were distant, not focusing on him.

"Oi!" InuYasha nearly made Makoto jump out of his skin, he was so intent on Gina's actions and screams. InuYasha took the pup from Makoto and nuzzled the top of her head until her cries melted down. He raised his head to glare at Makoto. "What made her so upset?"

"Kita left for awhile. I guess Gina is just worried she won't come back." It wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't the complete truth. Makoto didn't feel like going against InuYasha on the subject of the she-wolf, especially at the present moment.

"You better go looking for her if she's not back, soon. We're going home as soon as everyone is ready." He stated and he slung Gina on his shoulder. She let out a squeal and laughingly grabbed at InuYasha's hair. InuYasha smirked, releasing the girl and letter her fall halfway to the ground before gently catching her and setting her down on her feet. She wobbled a few steps before falling on her back-side and laughing.

"Gina!" her twin launched himself at her and the two went rolling. Makoto watched as InuYasha started to chase the two around the clearing. Kita returned just as the others were getting ready to head back to the village. She was as silent as ever as she stood by Makoto's side. He sighed and grabbed her hand as they started the journey.

It took them a few days to make it back to the village. Sango, Miroku and the girls had to walk since Tani and the new kit were riding Kirara back, and that caused them to slow down a great deal. Makoto didn't mind so much. The closer they got to the village, the more he felt like he was losing Kita. The others had taking up a habit of glancing back at the two during the trip; they could obviously feel some sort of tension between the couple.

"Home! Home, home, home, home…" Kagome started chanting as soon as the rice fields of the village were in view. Mehiji squirmed from her arms and started running down the hills, followed by his sister. InuYasha snuck up behind Kagome, using one arm around the back of her knees and the other behind her shoulders to sweep her off her feet and twirl her around. She squeaked her surprise before laughing and punching his shoulder. "Arrogant hanyou!" InuYasha growled playfully. Makoto looked away disgusted when the two started kissing in the broad daylight for every villager in the fields to see.

Miroku, Sango, and the girls bade their farewell as they made their way to see Mai in the village before going to their own hut. Kirara took to the air, taking Shippou, Tani, and their little-one to their hut before returning to Sango. Makoto walked silently with Kita in tow to his hut. He dropped her hand as they got in view, and she steered herself to still along by the pond. Makoto cursed under his breath, nearly making the door slide out of the wall when he entered the hut and made a bee-line to his room.

He slammed his door shut, the frame cracking in the process, which caused Makoto to curse to himself. He banged his fist into a wall, creating a hole in the bamboo. Okay, so his Okaa and Oyaji were going to be a little peeved at the destruction he was causing. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. It was already late into the afternoon, the sun starting to fall behind the trees. Every muscle in his body was tense under the pressure. His hands fidgeted with any object within reaching distance, unsure of what to do. Makoto looked across the pond where Kita sat cross-legged, staring off into space. She stood, and started walking along the side of the water. The sunbeams reflected off the water and onto her face, making her glow in the darkening atmosphere. Makoto noticed she was slowly making her way to the hut. He guessed he should have been relieved that she wasn't just walking away, but his stomach was uneasy.

"Oi! What did you do?!" Makoto could hear InuYasha yelling as he entered the hut, obviously seeing the busted door.

"Don't yell at him, InuYasha, he's having a hard enough time as it is." He heard his Okaa's soothing voice. The main door slid open once again, and the outer room grew quiet. A moment later there was a soft knock on his door. He ran his fingers through his hair once again before walking over and shuffling the broken door open. Kita was standing before him, her facial features carefully nonchalant.

"Makoto, I need to talk to you." Makoto was dismayed that her voice was also free from emotion.

"Alright." He replied, leading against door frame that creaked in protest.

Makoto could see a flicker of emotion run through her eyes as she thought. "Maybe we should go outside…" Makoto shoved off from the wall and lead the way outside without a word. As they passed the main room, he could feel the eyes of his parents following him and Kita, but he didn't look at them as they passed through and into the evening air. He walked awhile, and was surprised to find that he stopped under Goshinboku. He leaned up against the tree and waited.

"Makoto…"

"Why are you leaving?" he interrupted her. She looked startled at first, then her eyes fell.

"It's something I have to do, Makoto."

"Why?! I thought you wanted to stay here! I thought you liked being with me!"

"I do!"

"Then why are in such a rush to leave?!"

"Because for once in my life I have a chance to prove my worth!" she yelled back, then sighed and shook her head. "I'm the leader of my pack now. Only three remain loyal to my father, but those three are my responsibility. I can't just… abandon them."

"But you'll abandon me?" Confusion swept across her face at Makoto's reply. Makoto turned and took a few steps away, shaking his head, before turning back around. "You can't just leave, not like this. Not after…" he sighed.

"I'm sorry." After a short silence Kita spoke. "I've been going though this in my head for days, and I didn't see any other way around but to just do it. The pack can't live here in the village, we have to go back."

Makoto rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kita laced her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. He nuzzled his nose to her neck before bringing his lips to her ear. "Then let me go with you." He whispered.

Kita tried to pull back but Makoto had his arms tightly wound around her. She tilted her head back and stared into his eyes. "I can't ask you to leave you're family, Makoto. That wouldn't be fair to you, or to them."

"I let you choose! I let _you_ decide to leave! I could have approached you and tried to change your mind, but I didn't! _I_ let you make up your own mind, and I've made my choice. I'm going with you." Makoto paused, slightly shaking his head. "If you _want_ me to go with you, I will." Kita surprised him. Instead of trying to argue with him like he thought, Kita instead put a strangle hold on his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. He cackled. "I guess I can take that as a yes?"

Makoto finished packing the last of his and Kita's belongings into a bag. He checked his room once more for anything he might want to bring along. Memories flooded back to him as he stared.

_"Shippou!" A younger Makoto squealed as the youkai flopped on top of him, squishing him between Shippou's back and the futon._

_Shippou laughed and ruffled the trapped Makoto's hair. "Say it, little brother!" _

_"Augh!" Makoto pushed, kicked, clawed, and bit at Shippou, trying to get the older youkai off of him._

_"Say 'Shippou is the best brother in the world' and you can go."_

Makoto laughed to himself. He would have been stuck under Shippou for hours if Kagome hadn't heard his complaints and made Shippou get off of him. He turned and headed to the main room, shutting the still broken door behind him, where even more memories flooded him mind.

_InuYasha cursed under his breath as the sun finally set, leading into a newmoon night. Kagome worked on keeping the fire roaring in the pit, as Makoto whimpered by her side. There was a strong wind blowing through the hut as Shippou came through the door with a load of firewood, shrugging snow off of his shoulders as he closed it behind him and dropped the firewood down by the pit._

_"I think it's getting worse out there." He stated._

_"K-keh." InuYasha tried to hide the fact that in his human form he was freezing._

_"I think we have enough for the rest of the night, Shippou, you come over here and warm back up." Shippou nodded, picking Makoto up and setting him down in his lap and snuggling under the blanket with Kagome. InuYasha sat behind Kagome, wrapping his arms around her and pulling as close as he could._

Makoto smiled sadly and shook his head. That had been one long night. He was only two and still cried like a baby on his human nights. That night would have been the one of the worst, but it wasn't. The four of them had stayed cuddled up by the fire all night. He also remembered the multiple times either him or Shippou had ended up butt first into that fire pit in one of their many wrestling matches. He remembered in later years InuYasha had ended up in it a few times himself.

Makoto slid open the door to the outside and stepped out. Kagome was sitting by the pond, along with InuYasha and Kita, playing with the pups. Sango, Miroku, the girls, along with Kirara, Shippou, Tani and their new kit sat around with them. They all turned as Makoto made his presence known.

"We should get going." He stated after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Mai was the first one up. She ran and threw her arms around Makoto. "You better come back to see us soon, Makoto."

"I will." Hana, Yumi, and Cho all rushed him as soon as Mai backed away. Sango and Miroku walked up to him at the same time, each saying their 'goodbyes' in their own way, and then prying the girls away.

Shippou was the next up. Makoto combed his fingers through his hair and gave a sad smirk. This was his big brother. The guy who tortured him to death as a kid, the guy who was always there when he need him. Shippou threw his arms around Makoto's shoulders, Makoto doing the same, and squeezed tight.

"Take care of yourself, Makoto." He said, finally pulling away. "And Kita." Makoto only nodded, afraid his voice would crack too much for him to be able to speak. Kagome set down Mehiji and Gina, who ran and grabbed at his legs. Makoto smiled and bent down to his knees.

"Moto gooooo…." Mehiji whimpered.

"'koto…" Gina echoed.

"Hey, I'm not leaving forever. I'm going to come back and see you two as often as I can." He bent lower and whispered to them, "You two have to watch Okaa and Oyaji while I'm gone. Make sure they stay out of trouble."

"Kay!" Mehiji nodded.

Gina nuzzled into Makoto's side and mumbled, "Kay." InuYasha was next. He picked up the pups and slid them into one arm. Makoto stood to his feet and cleared his throat.

"Well, you always knew I would leave eventually." He joked. InuYasha didn't crack a smirk as he awkwardly hugged Makoto with his one free arm.

"Keep out of trouble." He said with all honesty. Then he lightened up, "I don't wanna be going all that way north to bail you out of anything.

Last up was Kagome. She walked toward Makoto slowly and thoughtful. When she reached him she wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a long, shaky sigh. "I guess I should have known this was coming."

"Okaa…"

"I know, I know. You'll be back. I shouldn't worry. But, you're my baby," Makoto rolled his eyes, "and it's just so far away." She pulled back and put her hands on his shoulders, looking him directly in his eyes with her tear-filled ones, "Just promise you'll come visit whenever you can, as often as you can, as many times as you can, for as long as you can."

Makoto laughed sadly and nodded. "As often as possible, as long as possible. Got it." Kagome gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then turned and ran into InuYasha's waiting arms. Kita then came and grabbed Makoto's hand, looked up at him, and smiled. "We better get going, then." He stated.

Makoto took one more look around, said his final goodbyes, and started on his journey. It would be a long road for him and Kita. Two hanyou leading a wolf pack of three. There was also the possibility that the rest of the pack would come seeking revenge. Makoto turned to Kita and swept her off her feet and into his arms, twirling her around with a huge grin on his face. Kita laughed and latched her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so she could reach his lips. So much was said between the two in just that one kiss. The promise of a life together, the promise of a future; the start of a family of their own. Who knows what would happen?

**A/N: **

**Only the epilogue left. ::tear::**

**It's been a longgg and hard road. I've been in school, work, and in and out of the hospital all throughout this thing. I hope I haven't let anyone down, and I hope that everyone enjoyed at least part of the story. I do plan on another fic, but no release date planed just yet. To all my faithful reviewers, I lubs you!**


	39. Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

**Chapter 39: Reunion**

"Come on, Gina! Please?!" Eight-year-old Mehiji tucked his ears out to the side of his head and poked out his lower lip, opening his eyes wide to look up at his twin sister. 

"Mehiji, you know what Okaa-san told me," she crossed her arms and glared at him with her silver eyes.

"Just this once? I wanna know when they're gonna get here," He whined. 

Gina sent a scrutinizing glance to her brother. "Okay, okay," she sighed, her eyes became unfocused as she started to concentrate. Mehiji flopped to the ground next to her and waited. After a few minutes her eyes finally refocused, a slight frown on her face. "They're late. Makoto won't be here till this afternoon."

Mehiji banged his fists on the ground at his sides. "He's always late!" he complained.

"Stop being a baby, Mehiji, they're still coming. Go play with Takeshi or something, and," he gave him a meaningful glare, "don't."

"Don't what?" 

"Just…don't. I know what you and Takeshi are going to be up to, and you'll only end up getting into trouble again." Gina said sternly.

"Aw. We wouldn't have gotten in trouble if you would have warned us!"

"No, you wouldn't have gotten in trouble if you didn't trick Okaa-san into 'sitting' Oyaji for no reason. Shippou told you what would happen."

Mehiji grumbled and jerked at the collar around his neck. So he had Takeshi pop into InuYasha's form and do a few things to make Kagome mad… and waited till the real InuYasha was conveniently located in the rice fields nearby helping the villagers fertilize, what was the big deal? It didn't really hurt his Oyaji, it never did, just, made him need a bath. And it wasn't like he wasn't going to get one, anyway. All they did to Takeshi was send him home to Shippou and Tani. What did they do to Mehiji? Pft. Collared him with a stupid submission spell. Now, Kagome wouldn't agree to send her baby boy falling face first into the dirt, but she did put a strong enough spell on the collar that it jerked him around quite a bit. Then adding to the humiliation by making the incantation word, "No, no." Kagome had promised to take it off as soon as he had learned his lesson. That was two weeks ago.

Gina looked at her brother, sitting next to her and growling at himself, and shook her head. Okaa had said Mehiji had way too much of their Oyaji in him for his own good. Gina could never see her father so stubborn and pig-headed; although Shippou and Makoto had sworn it was true. She sighed and looked past the trees to the sky toward the north. She really was disappointed that Makoto and Kita were going to be late, maybe even more so than Mehiji. She just chose to be more sensible about it. Gina had seen them in her vision, they were just about to leave the den, but something happened between members of the pack and Kita had to stay and take care of it. Gina couldn't be entirely sure, but it seemed like Jax and Mina's pup was getting sick again. 

_They'll be here this afternoon, for sure._ Gina reassured herself. She missed her older brother so much. Sure, she had Shippou and Mehiji, but Makoto…_knew_ her. They didn't even have to try to understand each other. She just had a bond with Makoto that she would never have with anyone else, and it killed her that she only got to see him every once in awhile. Gina propped her knees up and laid her head down on top of her folded arms. She smiled, looking at the kimono she had chosen to wear. It was long flowing white, with silver branches and pink sakura blossoms. Kita had made it for her last time they came. Mehiji gave a grunt, stood up, and walked away. She rolled her eyes, already anticipating the trouble her twin was about to get into. His subdue spell was sure to get a workout.

"Takeshi, you were supposed to be the lookout!" Mehiji yelled, grimacing from being drug around by his ear.

"I told you he would know it was me! I'm only seven, I can't hold a form perfectly for that long!" the young kit yelled from the other side. Shippou was in between them, hands firmly grasping the upper arm of his son and his brother's ear. He barged into his Okaa and Oyaji's hut without bothering to announce himself. Kagome looked up at him from her spot next to the fire pit, stopped mid-stir in her pot of stew.

"Shippou?" she questioned, then her eyes narrowed as she looked at Mehiji. His head was tilted to the side to keep his ear from being dislocated from his head. He had a huge guilty grin on his face, showing off his fangs. He raised one hand waved his fingers.

"Hi, Okaa." He gave a nervous laugh and ran his hand through his hair. 

Kagome looked back to Shippou. She didn't even want to ask. He had something sticky coating him, matting his hair down and making his clothes stiff. "Do I want to know what that is?"

"No, no you don't." Shippou stated simply. 

"It's not our fault! We set that up for Makoto, not _you_." Mehiji retorted.

"That's enough, Mehiji." She shook her head, "Just go to your room for now."

Mehiji's eyes went wide, "But Okaa! Makoto is supposed to be here any minute!"

"You should have thought of that before, now go." He opened his mouth to rebuke, but Kagome cut him short, "No, no." Shippou stifled a cackle as his baby brother was suddenly jerked by the neck. 

Mehiji growled and leaned backward against the pull. "Okaa…" he looked pleadingly to Kagome. Kagome just shook her head. There was another pull on his collar, this time harder, and Mehiji silently obeyed and went to his room. "Okaaaaa!" Shippou snickered as he heard the faint 'thump' of Mehiji being pulled down into a sitting position. 

Kagome turned and sniffed. "I think you need a bath before they get here." She told Shippou, twitching her nose, "Augh, and get out of my hut!"

"Okaa…!" Shippou whined. 

"What is with all the whining coming from here!?" InuYasha yelled.

"Oyaji!" Mehiji's voice echoed from his room, irritated.

"Oi! Your own fault, pup!" InuYasha hid his smirk.

"Oyaji! Okaa! Shippou! They're here!" Gina slid open the front door with a big grin on her face. Kagome squealed loud, causing her hanyou to flatten their ears from the sharp tune. 

"What about me!?" Mehiji yelled.

"You still have ten minutes left!" Kagome answered as she cut the corner, slipped open the front door, and took off down the path. Gina was much faster as she ran ahead; jumping low branches and rocks and bouncing her feet off the side of trees to gain more momentum. She was in the village before anyone else and smiled when she caught a whiff of Makoto's scent on the breeze.

Makoto entered the familiar village with one arm wrapped around his mate's waist and the other lugging a bag over his shoulder. He smirked and shook his head, stepping a few feet away from Kita before a silver/black blur glomped him to the ground.

"Makoto!" Gina giggled as the two tumbled down in the grass. "I missed you so much!" A few of the villagers in the surrounding fields stopped to look on as the rest of the family gathered around. Kagome was just jumping off of InuYasha's back as Shippou, Tani, and Takeshi arrived. Miroku, Sango, and the girls arrived a few moments after.

"Hey Gin-Gin, how's my favorite sibling?" Makoto ruffled her hair as he stood them both back up.

"Okaa said in one more year she's going to train me!" 

Makoto laughed. "Good luck with that. Okaa isn't all sunshine. She can get a temper on her if she doesn't get her way."

"Makoto!" Kagome scolded. She elbowed InuYasha, who had started cackling behind her.

Makoto walked over and picked Kagome up, twirling her in the air before pulling her into a big bear-hug. "You know I still love you, Okaa-san." He turned to InuYasha. "Oyaji. Still letting a pathetic human girl get the best of you, ehe?" he ducked from a blow aimed at his head. "But, you have grown slower!"

"Why you…"

"Where's Mehiji?" Makoto ignored InuYasha's angry glare.

Shippou huffed and jerked his head in the direction of the hut. "Stuck to the floor of his room." Makoto raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Pulled one too many pranks," Shippou's lips turned up in a smirk, "Okaa put a submission collar on him."

Makoto couldn't help but laugh. He was laughing so hard his sides started to ache. Kita shook her head and poked him in his stomach to silence him. "Aww, come on, Kita! The little brat got what he deserved."

"He's no more of a brat then you are at times," she said in a stern voice. "Maybe I'll get Kagome-san to make _you_ a collar."

"Keh," Makoto crossed his arms and turned his face away. Sulking, much like a certain older silver-haired hanyou.

"MAKOTOOOOO!" Mehiji was running up the path at full speed. Makoto barley had time to brace himself before the boy plowed into him. "It's about time you got here! Why are you always so late?"

"Oi, brat, some people have responsibilities to tend to," he ruffled the boy's hair and set him back down on the ground.

"Well, come on! Let's all go to the hut; Sango and I made enough food for everyone tonight." Kagome's broad smile never left her face. Her family was back together again, even if it was for only a short time.

The rest of the evening consisted of eating, story telling, questions, and laughter. Makoto couldn't help but laugh out loud as Mehiji told the stories of his latest pranks, and Kita was more than impressed when Gina told them about how far she had gotten with using her miko powers. Makoto couldn't help but notice that Kagome kept smiling the entire time. He missed that most of all.

Miroku stood up and held out his hand to Sango who graciously accepted his help. "Well my friends, it's time for Sango and I to retire."

Sango gave Makoto and Kita a final hug for the night before the two slipped out into the twilight air. Their girls left one by one soon after their parents, and then it was only the family together in the small common space of the hut. Gina snuggled against Makoto's chest in his lap as he smoothed his hand over her hair. She looked up and giggled, looking to Kita and back to Makoto with a knowing gaze. Makoto eyed her, but she shook her head and raised herself up enough to whisper in his ear.

"I haven't told them anything," she said loud enough for only him to hear. 

Makoto nodded and whispered a "thanks" in her ear before clearing his throat. "Okaa, Oyaiji," he started, "Kita and I…" Kagome squealed, but covered her mouth when her son looked at her. "are having a pup." The squeals returned and all the hanyou and youkai in the room groaned in annoyance. 

"Sorry," Kagome said as she rubbed InuYasha's ears. Being right beside her, he had gotten an ear full of the shrill sound. "All I have to say is it's about time! I was starting to wonder if you two would ever give me grandchildren." 

"Well, the pack is really getting stronger now, and larger. We figured it would be safe enough for a pup now," Makoto rubbed Kita's stomach.

Gina looked up with worry. "How are Jax, Mina, and the pup?" she asked.

"They're fine, now. It was a bit of a scare this morning. The poor thing," Kita answered. Jax and Mina were two of her original pack that stayed loyal to her father. They had a pup together not long after Kita and Makoto became the alphas, but it was born prone to seizures quite often.

"A wolf and an inu!" Tani squealed. "You could bet one thing, it's going to have very cute ears!" InuYasha, Makoto, and Mehiji all shook their heads. 

The rest of the week was full of more stories and laughter. Kagome, Tani, Kita, and Sango spent most afternoons chatting about the unborn pup; what Kita should expect, if she wanted a boy or a girl, and if she had any names picked out yet. InuYasha, Shippou, Makoto, and Miroku spent their afternoons bickering and teasing Makoto on how, exactly, the unborn pup had came into existence. Kagome used Mehiji's submission word on nine different occasions, including the incident when Takeshi and Mehiji decided Shippou's tail would look manlier without fur, and when the two decided that Makoto would look better with purple hair. 

Finally Kita and Makoto had to say goodbye, Makoto still grumbling and fiddling with the cloth tie Kagome gave him to keep over his hair until the dye wore off. After many tears from Kagome, a 'keh' from InuYasha, snuggles from Gina, and roughly ruffling Mehiji's hair, Makoto grabbed hold of Kita's hand and set off to rejoin their pack.

**A/N: **

**Aww. T.T And that's the end, folks. Hope you enjoyed it! I'm already working on a new, darker fic, hopefully coming out this summer, so keep a lookout for it. Byes!**


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